SUVs double pedestrians’ risk of death

SUVs double pedestrians’ risk of death

This is from 2003, and I wonder if statistics have changed. The rate of deaths here in the US used to be lower than in other wealthy countries, but other countries have pushed their curve down steeper, and our rate of deaths is almost level now, because we are not doing what we can do. We should learn from others.

The term "saloon car" is the British term for sedan.

America Is Now an Outlier on Driving Deaths

Seems logical since an SUV can weigh twice as much as a sedan.

Pedestrian traffic fatalities by state

Have always hated the things--a reflection of the "mine is bigger," "me first" consumer mentality.  They block line of sight for drivers of sedans and compacts, aren't nearly as safe as some suppose.

Their popularity seems to correlate with obesity, as well.

yahooyahoo said:

Seems logical since an SUV can weigh twice as much as a sedan.

You know it's a spot-on topic, when discussion is shunned or shut down!!!!

Maplewood, this liberal darling community, just loves its dangerous gas-guzzling SUVs.

It's not the conservatives that will destroy this society, it's the liberal "centrists," by their accommodating hypocrisy. 

I don't know what you mean, @mff. I have a more moderate view of this stuff. I say use the right tool for the job. If you have five kids and the groceries to feed them all, you need something big to carry them all. On the other hand, if you're alone, and you're just picking up a half gallon of milk from a half mile away, a motor vehicle is overkill. I found myself driving too often because it was the "normal" thing to do, so I got back on my bike for short trips. This was while I was in Maplewood. Since then, I moved back to my spawning ground, Manhattan, and I'm relatively car free. I got rid of my car, and my wife kept hers. I'm lucky, though. Mr. Money Mustache has a lot to say about how much we drive unnecessarily, and the costs of doing so are partially hidden, and I mean individual costs as well as societal costs. Safety is one of them. We take the death toll as a cost of doing business, and it is, but more than it needs to be, especially given what we're learning about how other countries are improving safety and we are not.

on Maplewood Ave, many SUVs, even when they are legally parked, are so tall they block the view of pedestrians in the crosswalk.  I had a guy blow past me in the crosswalk by Kings yesterday, but I think a good portion of the reason was that he just couldn't see me until he was too close to stop (although drivers are supposed to be paying attention and not drive too fast if they can't see past parked cars).  And the reason was the tall SUV parked right next to the crosswalk (legally).

but there's no way to solve this.  People barely pay attention to the parking laws around the crosswalks anyway.  I can't see anyone paying attention to a "no trucks/vans/SUV" parking space next to the crosswalk.  If only manufacturers could come up with a station wagon with 3 rows of seats that didn't ride way up off the ground.  A lot of people might opt for a lower profile wagon to transport their families.  And not block the view of other vehicles and pedestrians.  I guess I can hope.

I don't excuse that driver one bit. When vision is obstructed partially, then it's important to move more slowly.

Tom_Reingold said:

I don't excuse that driver one bit. When vision is obstructed partially, then it's important to move more slowly.

you're 100% correct.  But if I got run over and badly injured, parsing out blame isn't going to be on my mind.  And part of the contributing factors would be the obstructive SUV.  

Again, I don't have a solution to it.  It's just that these massive vehicles make the environment less safe for pedestrians for a number of reasons.

Look at the parked vehicles on workdays from the train station fanning outward.  An awful lot of SUVs always, of course without either groceries or kids inside.  Same thing on highways.

But salutes to the folks that use the jitney. 

Family size in the USA is shrinking; waistlines are not.

people have been sold on the idea that SUVs are safer, when statistically they aren't any safer than a sedan.  Any protection gained by being in a large vehicle in an accident is offset by its reduced maneuverability and increased stopping distance when you are trying to avoid a crash.

And as the article says, they cause more injury and death than sedans.

American Adults Just Keep Getting Fatter

By MATT RICHTEL and ANDREW JACOBSMARCH 23, 2018

American adults continue to put on the pounds. New data shows that nearly 40 percent of them were obese in 2015 and 2016, a sharp increase from a decade earlier, federal health officials reported Friday.

The prevalence of severe obesity in American adults is also rising, heightening their risks of developing heart disease, diabetes and various cancers. According to the latest data, published Friday in JAMA, 7.7 percent of American adults were severely obese in the same period.

OK, OK, people suck. How many ways do you want to say it?

Not what I said or intend to re-say.

You knowledgeable about old t.v. series, at least?

"Just, the facts, Ma'am."

P.S.

The quote begins, "American..."

I'm pretty sure Americans would be just as likely to be obese if they were driving sedans.  It's not the size of the vehicle as much as the fact that people don't walk more than about 100 yards a day, if that.

I was implying that their obesity sizes them out of the sedans...

mff said:

I was implying that their obesity sizes them out of the sedans...

I’d argue that SUVs are much harder for the obese to get in and out of.  If many are, in fact lazy (which I don’t believe) vs facing a biological challenge, there are a whole host of sedans they can drive. 

yahooyahoo said:

Seems logical since an SUV can weigh twice as much as a sedan.

That and the area of initial impact is often much higher up IMO. 

I'm thinking of observable seating capacity.  As with NYC subway cars, where the obese typically take two seats--whether they have to climb or fall into them. 

ctrzaska said:

mff said:

I was implying that their obesity sizes them out of the sedans...

I’d argue that SUVs are much harder for the obese to get in and out of.  If many are, in fact lazy (which I don’t believe) vs facing a biological challenge, there are a whole host of sedans they can drive. 

Most of the SUVs I’ve owned have seats sized nearly identically to those of their sedan counterparts. They’re not at all far off if not the same. 

That said, suppose it’s easier to get in a sedan and out of an SUV, but I think the weignt of the occipant isn't really any factor on the topic of safety/use in any case. 

Why the eff ever own one though, really?

Épater la bourgeoisie!!!

My little *** is fine in a compact.

In addition, SUVs have significant tip over risk (just imagine try imagining to maneuver an SUV in an emergency, such as accident avoidance, snowy-icy weather skid, etc.).  SUVs have a higher center of gravity which translates into more tip overs due to fairly common maneuvers (albeit these maneuvers are usually infrequent).   Generally, sedans have much lower tip over risk because their center of gravity is so much lower.

ml1 said:

people have been sold on the idea that SUVs are safer, when statistically they aren't any safer than a sedan.  Any protection gained by being in a large vehicle in an accident is offset by its reduced maneuverability and increased stopping distance when you are trying to avoid a crash.

Seemingly there are quite a few of you who don't like nor don't have uses for owning an SUV. The greatness of consumerism is choice. I choose to own and drive an SUV and have done so for many, many years. I also have a smaller vehicle. If you don't like them for a variety of reasons, don't purchase one. I see no need to start sh!t on a community board chastising others about their PERSONAL CHOICE PURCHASES. 

I posted a few years ago on this board that some anonymous dick left a note for me on the window of my SUV (and others) telling me what a horrible person I was for... driving an SUV. I don't eat meat. Should I go into all the spots in S.O. and finger point, harass and chastise meat eaters? No. I mind my effing business and allow meat eaters to eat meat. Know why? It's THEIR CHOICE.

@kibbegirl, that wasn't my intention. I just think it's good to know the risks and facts. We drive an SUV, also, because we have a lot of construction hauling to do, and we also use it to carry our bikes on adventures. In other words, we use it for sport and utility.