The Mini Death Traps Obama wants us to buy!

[CultureKing]

Of course the point of this thread is HEAD on collision not rollover.

Which is exactly why this thread is irrelevant. 4% of all accidents are head-on collisions, meanwhile 45% of accidents don't even involve another car. It has been found that smaller cars actually do better than larger cars in accidents not involving another vehicle. In other words your argument is moot.

[MK]

Well, we could always just put roll cages in SUVs.

Proportionally speaking, light truck and sport-utility vehicle rollovers have accounted for more traffic deaths over the last three decades than any other type of car.  But that has little to do with more of them being on the road now.  I bet that your odds of surviving a rollover are better then surviving a head-on inside a small mini car like the ones proposed.

Seriously though, roll cages/ bars save lives why are they not implemented in SUVs?

[dead0man]

Sorry DeadOman, but a number of your assumptions are in error.

While I may be safer in a full size American car if hit by one of the Obama minis than if hit by a full size American can, the safeness of the person in the Obamamobile is significantly decreased.  So, we all will NOT be safer.

But you will be more likely to have that accident with ANOTHER small car the more small cars there are on the road.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Seriously?  Physics isn't your strong suit is it?

Physics has nothing to due with the likelihood of a vehicle being involved in an accident.

Most motor vehicle accidents are as the result of operator error.

It isn't physics, it simply reality.

Two objects can not occupy the same space.  If our two objects are vehicles on the highway and object A takes up more space than object B, object A is going to bumb into more things.

"Wow, I just barely swerved and missed that Mini Cooper!  Thank god it's so small"

or

"Wow, I just totally T-Boned that Chevy Caprice.  I tried to swerve and miss it, but they're just so damned long"


..and that's not taking into account that a smaller vehicle will handle and stop better than a (all other things being equal) larger vehicle.

[dead0man]

Well, we could always just put roll cages in SUVs.

Proportionally speaking, light truck and sport-utility vehicle rollovers have accounted for more traffic deaths over the last three decades than any other type of car.  But that has little to do with more of them being on the road now.  I bet that your odds of surviving a rollover are better then surviving a head-on inside a small mini car like the ones proposed.

Seriously though, roll cages/ bars save lives why are they not implemented in SUVs?

Because they aren't free.  Because they would be a hassle.  Because they would add lots of weight up high in the vehicle, making roll overs even more likely.  Nobody is stopping you from putting a roll bar in your SUV, there is no need to make it a common option from the factory.

[dead0man]

Of course the point of this thread is HEAD on collision not rollover.

Which is 2% of all accidents (although 10% of all fatal crashes).

[MK]

Well, we could always just put roll cages in SUVs.

Proportionally speaking, light truck and sport-utility vehicle rollovers have accounted for more traffic deaths over the last three decades than any other type of car.  But that has little to do with more of them being on the road now.  I bet that your odds of surviving a rollover are better then surviving a head-on inside a small mini car like the ones proposed.

Seriously though, roll cages/ bars save lives why are they not implemented in SUVs?

Because they aren't free.  Because they would be a hassle.  Because they would add lots of weight up high in the vehicle, making roll overs even more likely.  Nobody is stopping you from putting a roll bar in your SUV, there is no need to make it a common option from the factory.

Yadda yadda Ive heard these reasons before.   As for weight concerns, you must have never heard of chromoly?      As for cost sure it would be extra, but considering they add all of the other useless stuff like GPS etc.. which could all be options.   I don't see why not address safety regardless of a extra $$


The Warranty would be stopping alot of folks from doing it.

I'm not talking  about a 12pt cage here.

 

[minionofmidas]

Smarts are common enough over here. They are certainly NOT particulary accident-prone cars. Or "death traps".

[??????????]

Smarts are common enough over here. They are certainly NOT particulary accident-prone cars. Or "death traps".

Yeah, how many large vehicles do you have over there?

[minionofmidas]

Smarts are common enough over here. They are certainly NOT particulary accident-prone cars. Or "death traps".

Yeah, how many large vehicles do you have over there?

Loads, duh. How often does a head-on crash with both vehicles moving at full speed happen, exactly? Most sources give the Smart good safety ratings. Including US ones, I oughtn't need add.

[CARLHAYDEN]

Sorry DeadOman, but a number of your assumptions are in error.

While I may be safer in a full size American car if hit by one of the Obama minis than if hit by a full size American can, the safeness of the person in the Obamamobile is significantly decreased.  So, we all will NOT be safer.

But you will be more likely to have that accident with ANOTHER small car the more small cars there are on the road.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Seriously?  Physics isn't your strong suit is it?

Physics has nothing to due with the likelihood of a vehicle being involved in an accident.

Most motor vehicle accidents are as the result of operator error.

It isn't physics, it simply reality.

Two objects can not occupy the same space.  If our two objects are vehicles on the highway and object A takes up more space than object B, object A is going to bumb into more things.

"Wow, I just barely swerved and missed that Mini Cooper!  Thank god it's so small"

or

"Wow, I just totally T-Boned that Chevy Caprice.  I tried to swerve and miss it, but they're just so damned long"


..and that's not taking into account that a smaller vehicle will handle and stop better than a (all other things being equal) larger vehicle.

You addressed two points:

First, you assert that a smaller vehicle will be less likely to be hit than a larger vehicle.  While this would seem plausible on first blush, it is a fallacy similar to the assertion that if I flip a quarter three times and it comes up heads all three times, the fourth time if is going to come up tails. 

The truth is that smaller vehicles are less likely to be seen than larger vehicles, and more likely to be hit for that reason (if your area has a law firm specializing in motor vehicle accidents they can confirm this point).

Second, the presumption that a smaller vehicle will (per se) have better handling characteristics than a full sized vehicle is incorrect.  Factors involved include steering system, brake system, tires, vehicle loading, etc.

[dead0man]

A. Maybe

B. That's why I said "all other things being equal".  Which they never are.  Bigger vehicles tend to have softer suspension (Trucks/SUVs, large cars), thus even worse at cornering and breaking.  Thanks for pointing that out.

[??????????]

http://www.tampabay.com/video/?bcpid=2441023001&bctid=14161773001

How do you think a Mini would do in this sort of accident?

[Sbane]

http://www.tampabay.com/video/?bcpid=2441023001&bctid=14161773001

How do you think a Mini would do in this sort of accident?

How often does that kind of accident happen? And that guy was obviously not paying attention/drunk/had a heart attack. I doubt the end result of that crash would be much different in a big or small car. I am guessing the occupants died?

[??????????]

http://www.tampabay.com/video/?bcpid=2441023001&bctid=14161773001

How do you think a Mini would do in this sort of accident?

How often does that kind of accident happen? And that guy was obviously not paying attention/drunk/had a heart attack. I doubt the end result of that crash would be much different in a big or small car. I am guessing the occupants died?

Nope, he nearly walked away. He had a seizure.