"That's why I would never buy a small car."
 

One of the road's outside of my work has 3 of the most dangerous intersections in this city and you're bound to see an accident just about every time you go down it. Anyway, apparently there was a huge accident there this morning that was severe enough to bring in a Nightingale (rescue helicopter). I hear a bunch of coworkers discussing it and one of them says "And that's why I would never buy a small car. They've got to be messed up!"

Maybe it's just me but regardless of what car you drive, it's more about responsibility. I hate obnoxiously large SUV's and cars that hog up the road and drive recklessly. Maybe we all need to drive gas guzzling armored tanks that get bigger by the year. We can all be "safe" and not worry about how much damage it does to other vehicles.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't want to be behind the wheel of an econobox with no frame support or airbags. Safety is definitely key but it shouldn't require everyone to drive the biggest thing on the road.

:hsdunno:

People think big = safe.

To a certain extent it's true, but for the most part the safest vehicles crash-wise are properly engineered midsized sedans like the Subaru Legacy and stuff.

Me personally, people bug me about it somewhat frequently. "Man if you get in a crash in that thing you're screwed!"

My usual reply:

"Yeah, pretty much."

They can't waste their breath trying to prove their point if I agree with them right away.

:werd: driving around something that big will probably make it easier for people to feel less resposible for driving properly. its not just SUVs either. ive seen huge sedans just tear through crowded local 45mph roads like they were invincible.

I agree with your points. It's just funny that they say they plow down that road at 50mph in a 45mph just because they've got an SUV or whatever. I normally slow as I approach these intersections because I predict what other drivers may do.

I've found one of the major drawbacks to a small car is that people in big SUV's and pickup trucks have a hard time seeing you. Or, they do see you and just try to bully themselves thru traffic and expect you to get out of their way because they're bigger.

yeah, not to mention you cant see jack when youre behind one of the bigger SUVs. i try to stay as far away as possible.

The proof that the 2006 Honda Civic got a Gold crash safety rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) shows that big does not equal safer car.

People forget that with a modern small car, the car may look like a total loss after an accident but the car was designed that way to crumple like that. The reason is simple: all the body crumpling dissipates the energy of the crash. Remember all those spectacular NASCAR crashes you get at almost every race? The very fact almost NO drivers end up in the hospital for extended stays after those crashes is testimony of how proper body crumpling designed into the structure of the car can save a driver's life. :)

try driving a motorcycle in rush-hour traffic :eek:

the time i spent riding mine made me a better driver for sure....you learn to read people's "body-language" behind the wheel, best positioning in a lane, how to cover the brake @ all times & to constantly be looking for a way out from a "what if" situation.

most of the time people get out of the way when they see a large SUV coming up behind them. it's not necessarily that the SUV driver is trying to bully their way through traffic because they're bigger. people tend to make way for the bigger vehicles.

I was driving the company vehicle a few weeks ago which happens to be a suburban. I was driving normally down I-270 and cars and tucks alike would merge into other slower moving lanes to give me room.

:werd: ive been drivin w/ that mindset for as long as i can remember. :D