Feds target SUV, truck size to save pedestrian lives — ‘one of the last frontiers of vehicle safety’
Feds target SUV, truck size to save pedestrian lives — ‘one of the last frontiers of vehicle safety’
I have conservative family members who deliberately go for the biggest SUV with the lowest gas mileage available just to "stick it to the government." If the government told them that they couldn't drive a small car, they'd be out there shopping for a small car. It's incredibly childish.
Yeah, a lot of stupid culture war crap is now tied up into the car your own.
If people actually prioritized performance, handling, visability, cost to drive, and cabin features, then a LOT of people would probably be better off with a sedan.
If you don’t need the space, you can get so much more bang for your buck with a smaller car. The $10k more you spend on the larger form factor could go toward a nicer power train and cabin luxury features.
Most other countries I've been to, all the trades use these, and seem to have no problem getting projects done.
Not to mention longer term cost of maintenance and insurance.
Or a hatchback or a station wagon...
Oops, nobody makes station wagons anymore. We stopped making them because, uh, people stopped buying them. Yeah, that's the ticket. People stopped buying them because we stopped making them.
Ya know it probably says something that the concept of "cabin luxury features" made we want to burn the inside of a car. Ill stick to my lack of cupholders in my 30 year old car thanks, but seriously when I see the interior of modern cars they make me want to rip into them with wire cutters. Bunch of useless crap like lane assist, cruise control, and addaptive road assist, powered stearing is the only luxury I need.
Fun fact I am only 24, I just am tech literate in the way that causes me to think 90% of technology is worthless crap that shouldve never been created and needs to be recycled.
Toddler core behaviour
I had a student get just the worst giant diesel truck that was constantly breaking down so she could "stick it to the libs".
Girl was 18. Future of the nation?
Yeah, at some point we’re going to have to crank up gas prices
budgeting and foregoing food to own the libs
GOP judge declaring NHTSA unconstitutional in 3... 2... 1...
Humans have quite literally invented cars that are better at killing people, especially children.
"I don't want children to die in accidents," say people as they drive huge masses of metal that might do just that.
I'll keep driving my PEV Minivan that has 360 cameras and I can see in front of me easily. I care about children's lives, unlike bubba in his lifted pickup truck. Why do you need a 4x4 lifted 3 feet and you live in the suburbs?
...you know what they say about guys with big lift...
Funny thing is, the people I know with large vehicles around here always bemoan how difficult it is to park, yet don't want to solve the obvious problem because twice a year they want to haul a fridge to the dump or pick up something from the home improvement store rather than have it delivered or rent a truck for an hour.
Why do you need a 4x4 lifted 3 feet and you live in the suburbs?
Penis issue
Your minivan is huge too...
Driving a truck and not wanting children to die in accidents are in-fact not in conflict with each other. Or are you implying that truck drivers do want them to die?
Why do little cars have to withstand a collision with a huge truck but trucks just get bigger and bigger? The new Hummer is over 9,000lbs (4,090 kg)
At 60 MPH the Hummer EV has the same kinetic energy as a 1993 Honda Civic Hatchback going 120mph.
wtf in Europe that thing couldn't be driven with a regular class B drivers license
The cybertruck is like 7k lbs.
Regardless of truck size, I don't think tractor trailers are going anywhere. Even if we made trucks smaller those would still be out there
Smaller trucks would still get in accidents though, and I imagine they would be less deadly
Man, if only we could separate freight from commuter traffic. Like, imagine if all those tractor trailers were on their own separate road, but make it out of, IDK, metal or something so it can withstand the weight better. You could even just have metal right under the wheels, to reduce costs. But what do I know, I'm just some pie in the sky nobody who doesn't know what he's talking about
Tractor trailers are heavily regulated with training, licensing, driving hours and sleep break logging etc. Are they really a significant source of pedestrian collisions?
I really just want small cars to make a comeback
Even if we made trucks smaller those would still be out there
If we made them smaller there'd just be more of them on the road. There'd also be higher prices for everything to compensate for the extra expense of having those extra trucks and bodies to pilot them.
Cars are getting a lot heavier now that EVs are becoming mainstream.
Because chuds keep buying them so manufacturers keep making them
As it is the US has no pedestrian safety standards at the federal level. I'm pretty sure if GM wanted to put out a truck with running chainsaws all over it then it would be perfectly legal as far as the NHTSA is concerned, although some state regulators might have a problem with it which is probably why it doesn't happen in reality.
You're in the process of describing a Cybertruck, just the misfitting panel 'teeth' aren't rotating
I have a Honda Fit (compact 4 seater) and absolutely LOVE the little car, plus it's easier to park. But holy shit looking for a compact is hard! Everything is a fucking SUV or truck these days! Just count the number of sedans vs SUVs next time you're out and about. My favorite cars, the 2 door Mini Cooper and VW Buggy, aren't even made any more.
For the first time ever, manufacturers would be required to study the impact of test dummies hit outside of vehicles. The rules would likely change the design of what America drives permanently.
That's all the article says about the actual rule changes. Based on this information alone, I know very little about what will actually change.
I feel like the NHTSA should do way more if they can and argue for limits on light truck sizes in their length, height, weight, and perhaps classification.
Well, for one thing, an M1 Abrams main battle tank has better front sightlines than most trucks on the road today.
And it isn't even that much more dangerous to get hit by because of the giant flat-face front impact planes of the trucks. Used to be if you got hit by a car it would roll you up over the hood, now you just die.
I have to imagine that will impact the testing and design at least somewhat.
Edit: fixed the image link
The other thing it mentioned was the “head-to-hood” test. AFAIK car manufacturers are only required to meet the collision safety requirements for collisions involving the same class of vehicle. Vehicles in different classes are not made to impact with each other, making, for instance, a sedan to pickup truck collision much more dangerous for the sedan driver. The only way they can still meet those safety requirements is to make the front of the SUVs and trucks much much smaller and probably lower.
Edit: I was thinking of the AP article about this.
For the first time ever, manufacturers would be required to study the impact of test dummies hit outside of vehicles
But that will reveal a LOT of corroborating information for what we know, which is how dangerous they are. It's a good thing to have more data
I suspect the only "change" that will happen is a large amount of money changing hands so they don't have to bother.
Double the price of petrol. That will make Americans desire small cars again.
Doesn’t matter, still need an SUV to fit the family. Not everyone here is living the SINK/DINK life.
Every time I see a movie from the 90s and older, and they show a parking lot, I get sad. Everyone used to drive reasonably sized sedans. Family vehicles were wagons. Fuck SUVs and trucks.
My dream car: An EV version of the 1955 Nash Metropolitan, seen here in this silly ad photo:
(Sorry, it's hard to find pictures that give a true indication of the smallness of the car. Also, mine would be the red and white two tone variety.)
I just want a tiny electric hatchback, like, Honda fit sized, that has like 150+ mile range, and doesn't use an outdated charging standard. I've considered a Nissan Leaf but they are still sticking with the chademo charger port, which is way less common.
Yes!
Even that was in an era or needlessly ego-boosting giant cars, going utilitarian to get a better product, better lives on average, even save resources - amazing (but with the cardinal sin of not being expensive enough and thus not as financially profitable).
For the same reason I would love to get a normally viable car of much smol.
Like a bit more modern version of Figaro:
Or a sexy mid-engine Autozam:
Kei cars are qewl!
I want a neat little 600cc kei car. I haven't had any luck finding one.
If you want one that's more than 25 years old, you can get those legally imported to the U.S. from Japan.
https://www.japan-partner.com/keicars.html
How stupid a law is that?
Saw a lady driving a truck which its hood was taller than my veloster and all I saw was knuckles. This old lady probably couldn't even see the road.
Fuck these people and fuck the companies that make em
Large trucks like that should be like transports. Ya should have to take a special license course to even be able to own to prove you can drive it. 90% of truck owners can't so they own the biggest POS to ensure their safety at everyone's else's safety.
I see A LOT of older people who can't see over the dash. I bet they don't know their seat raises vertically. their eyes line up with the top of the steering wheel, no way they're paying attention enough to what's going on beyond 15 feet, much less around them.
"MUH FREEDOM. FUCKIN COMMIES"
I can just see the pavement princess brigade seething because their next emotional support penismobile won't be exaggerated anymore and they will actually be able to see pedestrians and cyclists.
There should really be a redistribution gas tax, another dollar per gallon on gas which then goes back split evenly to every American. Incentivizes less gas usage while avoiding the regressive nature of a sales tax. Canada has something like this.
Ruinous politically so it would never happen but it would be a good plan.
It’s the carbon tax and carbon rebate in Canada. When paired with a carbon tariff, it’s a great market friendly solution to reduce emissions. Beware though, it really really triggers regressive petrosexual conservatives and the ones in Canada keep trying to trigger an election over it so they can get rid of it ASAP and pollute more.
I'm Canadian... avoiding tax??
Hahahahahaha I want what you're smoking.
We literally get taxed on tax
As was designed by the people who actually wrote those laws, the lobbyists. More profitable cars to sell as America moves farther and farther away from reality with car prices.
Bumper height needs to be standardized so they match up properly. One of the biggest safety issues is how modern SUV bumpers don't align with cars bumper bars.
My Sequoia is like 2.5x the size of my Honda fit. If I ever hit my Honda while pulling into the driveway I'll total it.
I fully agree with your statement.
Maybe this is the point, but that might cause SUVs to be prohibitively unsafe, because their center of momentum would be so high relative to impact height. For example, if an SUV with one of these low bumpers hit a barrier, it would probably perform a front flip over it 😂
It’s out of control. I drive a 2019 Kona and I moved to that from my 2013 Elantra. Last time I was at the dealer was looking at the new Konas and they’re bigger, too big for me.
The most jarring thing is when I was picking up a prescription for my cat, and on the way home I was driving next to a plain vanilla, factory-stock GMC truck whose hood was literally taller than my entire car. And I don't drive a miata or some other sub-compact, I drive a freaking Nissan Leaf, so about the size of your average sedan.
Since then it's like a switch flipped in my brain, and I can't unsee just how insanely huge modern-day pickup trucks have gotten.
Let’s target them in order to lower the demand for fossil fuels. The drivers of these vehicles are the ones driving up gas prices; and then subsequently crying about gas prices.
This seems like it could lead to significant innovation in vans in North America, or set least US/Canada. Van pickups, van sedans, van Goghs? After the initial temper tantrums, I think people will buy whatever comes out of the design phase. There used to be a lot of "beef" about emission control devices, but not so much anymore. Those folks moved on.
Bring back the supercharged Dodge Car-a-Van and we have ourselves a deal.
Yay we will have the return of small trucks. These behemoths are good for towing and work, but not everyday driving.
Most of the behemoths aren't even good as utilitary vehicles...
I've got a 15yo Renault Kangoo which could beat almost any oversized suburban pedestrian flattener in all metrics except price.
Hey buddy! Without a Ford F150 that's taller than the average elementary school student and a box that can barely fit an average grocery store trip, how else am I supposed to tell people I have a tiny penis?
I want so much to ditch my Jeep Grand Cherokee for a truck (I drive to work once a week but pull a camper on the weekends), sadly a lot of them might not fit in my 1970's garage.
The last frontier, that showed up like forty years ago.
It’s like a negative feedback loop I want an SUV because of a truck or another SUV hit me. I feel like I might be able to survive that but if I’m in my geometro, or a small compact car. I don’t think I’m coming out of that alive if a giant trucker or suv hit me And I know that’s not gonna change. They’re not gonna suddenly recall thousands of oversized pick up trucks those trucks are gonna be on the road for the next 10 to 15 years to come, even if something changes soon. It would take a while to phase them out.
I just want public high-speed rail everywhere 15 minutes cities please
They need to do that here too in Australia
If you're driving a larger vehicle, you should be putting in more care.
But they don't seem to here in Australia. They'll park badly and put less effort into fixing it than a small sedan
It's tiring that this is even still a thing
Man, I'm not all that interested in owning a truck or an SUV but there are so few Sudan's out there that fit folks like me over 6ft tall. (If anyone has suggestions please share, and no public transportation isn't an option where I live)
I'm over 6' and fit in my Camry just fine. It's also insanely reliable.
Iam 2m (6,5 feet) and drive a 2015 toyota auris hybrid. Seating position is good and i already drove multiple 8h journeys with it.
I’m 6ft as well, I drove my 2015 Mitsubishi lancer pretty comfortably and then 2018 Hyundai Sonata as well. I’m currently driving Hyundai IONIQ I think it’s a sweet spot between an SUV and a Sedan, but you can go slightly smaller than that even with cars like Kona.
I am not sponsored by Hyundai
I am over 6ft and my 2013 Kia Soul fits me easily. It's actually impressive, given how small the Kia is. Probably means the walls are ridiculously thin
I’m over 6ft and fit perfectly in my Renault Twingo. I have no dignity while sitting in it, but I fits
"One of the last frontiers of vehicle safety" If you're going to post this sort of stuff where people can see it, maybe you could cover it with Content Warnings and Propaganda tags?
So the US just starts importing the cars europe had for ages? thats hardly a frontier, it's willful ignorance of an age old issue.
Sounds good now, but we'll just end up with bigger pickup trucks that have cowcatchers installed.
If you guys could stop trying to take away things, people love six weeks before the election that would be great
I love pedestrians not being killed.
Why is driving a big heavy piece of crap so important to you? It's not like there aren't other cars or smaller SUVs you can drive. And it's not like guns where there is technically a valid use case for them.
I love tiny cars. It would be great if there were more of those. And affordable EVs. and affordable tiny EVs.
Fuck this, feds need to keep their bullshit away from my truck.
As long as you only drive it on your own ranch, fine. But when you take your vehicle off your property, it becomes everyone else's business.
Not with that attitude.
And here's one !!
The whole chart is rather fascinating and eye opening: Vehicle visibility
Astounding. Hummer H2 beating the Sierra by 3m is incredible. A truck designed almost exclusively to express how selfish you are and it has better viability.
Thanks, embedding:
‘murca
I'd be curious to see that chart for a Toyota Yaris. I drove one for a few years and it was almost unnerving how little hood it had.
I will gladly trade my SUV in for a gently used M1
Only 20 gallons to the mile, not bad
what if the M1 doesn’t have a touch screen though
That's not to mention the optics.
https://www.quora.com/Where-does-the-M1-Abrams-have-the-optics-of-its-main-cannon-I-dont-know-anything-about-tanks
That being said, some civilian vehicles are gonna have their own camera systems too, so...
Civilian vehicles should all have thermals and a night driving HUD. If I'm paying 30,000 dollars then they can damn well put some actual stuff in there. Headlights being weaponized isn't something we have to tolerate.
This is actually a good point. And here's a video discussing the issue.
https://youtu.be/YpuX-5E7xoU?si=cmwWAFTUyAFt40mL
This is misleading because being higher up you can see much better further ahead, and over obstacles and barriers. Your special awareness is much better at distances that are relevant for avoiding collisions. If something is 1.5m away its too late anyway.
The angle is also incorrect because they are putting the eyes of the driver straight in line with the hood, which is not how its been in any vehicle I've ever driven, the head should be higher or further forward.
The origin of the line is at head height...
Also these vehicles gain in distant visibility at the expense of everyone else on the road, blocking their views.
You don't want to see "over" obstacles close to your vehicle when said obstacles are in fact human beings standing in front of your car.
At parking lot speeds, 1.5 meters is also not "too late," and it certainly isn't when you are at a standstill but need to determine if it is safe to move or if there is a small person in front of your vehicle, i.e. in the school pickup line, or in a parking lot, or your own driveway.