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David Zipper
@DavidZipper
The Economist just published a deeply-researched story about car bloat, and it's very, very damning: "For every life that the heaviest 1% of SUVs and trucks save, there are more than a dozen lives lost in other vehicles." Well worth your time: economist.com/interactive/un
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David Zipper
@DavidZipper
The story is an indictment of
@NHTSAgov
for doing nothing (literally) to protect those walking, biking, or inside smaller vehicles. Still, Americans are starting to understand car bloat's dangers. Researchers, advocates, and journalists deserve credit for that (not NHTSA).
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Fietser Pete (Peter Som de Cerff)
@psomdecerff
Lack of regulation creates these absurd situations. Just charge car manufacturers $10M for each person killed by their cars and drivers $5M and the whole problem will evaporate. It’s all solvable if we desire so.
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Andreas Kirsch 🇺🇦
@BlackHC
They missed that heavier cars also increase your fatility rate if the other person drives a heavier car due to increased total energy pretty sure they only get this plot because most people don't have heavy cars (yet), so the odds are that a heavy car collides with a light one
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sonch
@soncharm
These lost-lives go into the utility-cost of mileage regulations that made what once were typical family-cars like the station wagon uneconomical
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Linda Bilmes
@LJBilmes
Trucks cause a disproportionate number of fatalities (in cars, bikes and pedestrians) and damage to roads. A significant percentage of freight could be carried by train, if the US stopped subsidizing the truck industry and instead invested to rail expansion. This study is yet
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Devabhaktuni "Sri" Srikrishna
@sri_srikrishna
ADAS like BMW's Driver Assistance Package use radar + vision to offset collision risk by mitigating or avoiding the most common collisions (details in driver manual): (1) front-rear (2) front-front (3) cross-traffic T-bone (< 50 mph) (4) pedestrian/cyclist
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Jack
@banteringless
Paywalled: did they credit Reagan, or nah?
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Jack
@banteringless
ICYMI: Section 179 is a prime motivator for 6,000 lb + vehicles It was introduced as part of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, which was a significant overhaul of the U.S. tax code. Signed into law by former President Reagan x.com/rshotton/statu…
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Shrug Life
@shekfu
What if we don't want the government to get involved and fix every problem and even any inequality?
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Hunter McGravy
@smokewagon
Thank God my Cybertruck is almost 7k pounds, bulletproof, razer sharp, and fast as hell. Also the most American made truck you can buy! *boom*
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Choong-Huei Seow (C.H.)
@CHViewpoints
Car bloat has been around forever. Elderly drivers used to drive "land boats" to protect themselves in a collision. Now families drive big SUVs to protect themselves. The quality of defensive driving itself is trending downwards as folks think that ABS, ESP, airbags will keep
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Mikey Likes
@mliebow
The only thing bloated are the policy wonks that want to dictate how people should spend their lives. It’s a mix of jealousy and authoritarianism with a dash of elitism to suggest you know better. No one cares what you think other than other elites and academics.
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Johnny Quach 🏓
@JohnnyQuachy
Would that suggest American car accidents kill the most people per accident? I think it probably has the heaviest cars on average?
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Haz
@Michael_Haz
An alternate and equally correct point of view: Small cars are inherently dangerous and should be avoided. Also: Pedestrians and bicyclists should be separated from roadways.
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iloccorb
@dotnet_enjoyer
There is not a single reason to justify owning those burger trucks It’s the perfect example of Americanism. Literally ‘I want to look bigger and don’t care for any of the consequences as they effect other people, not me’
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Chebureki Man
@CheburekiMan
At certain point one has to accept that not all variables in life can be regulated to perfection, and just stop trying to micromanage and control all aspects of society.
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Michael Kove
@michael_kove
People (especially parents) that say, "buy a smaller car, it's safer for other people".... Why would you put your own family at risk? If your small car will get hit by a truck, ya'll are dead. Studies like those promote "Big Car" use. Every single father and mother will say,
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William Green
@WillioHydro
Why blame the result on 'bloat' when it is, in fact, the consequence of climate-driven fuel efficiency standards that drove the development of cars that are less survivable?
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Scott Landmann
@scott_landmann
This is just bad analysis. First off, I can’t imagine what the “dots” represent. Then the article uses the ratio if the smallest dot to the largest. Then, no commercial or semi-tractor accidents are considered. I think EVERYONE knows that if you are in a 2,000 pound car (what
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Larry Stevens
@lfstevens
This won't get addressed in the US, because those vehicles are the only way that unionized automakers make any money. Supersafe robotaxis to the rescue!
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Paul Klee
@pgklee
Of course that’s deaths. Perhaps in a 4OOO lb vehicle I or my passenger don’t die but sustain long-term debilitating injuries but in a 6000 lb vehicle we all walk away. Or 1 out of 5 passengers die in the 4 ton vehicle but all 5 survive in the 6000 lb vehicle.
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HumanProbably
@HumanProbably2
so, if you have any brains, you will be the one in the heavier vehicle. I don't think this is going to get the response they want.
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