Why buy an SUV ??

[crisis]

I didn't say it was, but there are probably many statistics out there proving how much more likely you are to be killed by an SUV than a car.

A 2.5 tonne slab of metal hitting you in the abdomen/thorax region is going to do more damage than a 1.5 tonne slab of metal hitting you in the legs.
True, you are probably more likely to hit the windscreen/ roof with your head, if hit by a car. New legislation from the EU is addressing that issue.
Would you rather go over a car, or under an SUV.

The best option is to try and avoid contact with any vehicles at speed.

Sincerest apologies to anyone who might be offended by my slightly glib descriptions of getting run over.

Stay safe.

Ditto. I didnt mean to sound so sarcastic but the allegation of statistics proving this and that prove little. This morning 4 people died on a country road when their car hit a tree. The cop on the radio report said the thought speed was a contributing factor. I think the tree may have been too. Or the wet road or maybe lack of skill or innapropriate speed for the conditions. He only hit the tree at that spot so if he was travelling at that speed for any period before why didnt he crash earlier. Its the time old debate. But my point (at last you sigh), is that statistics are rarely to be trusted. This mornings accident could well be attributed to speed as the govenrment likes to justify the use of their revenue collectors. Oddly there have been more fatalities this year despite the use of these life saving devices, lower metropolitan speeds with their associated extra fines, more newer and safer cars on the road ( we have had record new car sales ) and all other associated police blitzs to fill the insatiable govenrnment coffers.

Another problem with the police reports and findings of accidents is that no accident can ever be duplicated to prove that different circumstances would have yielded a better/worse result.

[drakkie]

i have been hit several times by a car , but i was soooo lucky every time to be hit on the rear wheel.it just causes me to fall down.once i realy got trown over the the car and was pretty injured(the details are in some other thread).luckely i havent been hit by an Suv yet( i hope i never will).

[Coventrysucks]

my point (at last you sigh), is that statistics are rarely to be trusted.

I know exactly what you mean.

And 11% increase in deaths on the roads in Britain somehow became a 40% decrease at the hands of the government.

[RX7 FC3S]

I was in the car (well, a SUV) when this accident happened. We were traveling over 50km/h and a teen (15~17 of age), who was chased by his friends, suddently ran onto the road. We tried to stop and steer away from him, but it was too late. He was hit and rolled along the side of the car and fell on the ground.
Later I heard from others that one of his leg was broken and he suffered minor scratches. We all felt sorry for the kid. It was unfortunate that the accident occured, but it was lucky that it didn't turn out too bad. It could have been worse...

[Matra et Alpine]

You misunderstand me. I was talking about a push bike. We have similar laws here including for pushys, still see people on pushbikes not wearing them. that incident changed me for bike helmets forever.

ah right. We don't have law for push bikes, which is crazy because ...

I've crewed for a guy doing the Scottish Time Trials and also the 12 hour Scottish endurance bike races and he's off his head. Doesn't like to wear proper bike safety helmet on endurace runs and we've been behind him going downhill down on the tri-bars as low and forward as he can get doing 50+mph !!! One tyre bust and he would been 'mince'

[drakkie]

I was in the car (well, a SUV) when this accident happened. We were traveling over 50km/h and a teen (15~17 of age), who was chased by his friends, suddently ran onto the road. We tried to stop and steer away from him, but it was too late. He was hit and rolled along the side of the car and fell on the ground.
Later I heard from others that one of his leg was broken and he suffered minor scratches. We all felt sorry for the kid. It was unfortunate that the accident occured, but it was lucky that it didn't turn out too bad. It could have been worse...

driving a "normal" car, and the kid may have been unharmed or at least less harmed.Question: why did you found out later??? didnt you stop and took care of that person? didnt you visit him (in hiospital)??? strange sh*t.......

[sandwich]

or he could have been more harmed or even killed, if the car was lower it could have taken his legs out and slammed his head against the roof/windsheild or thrown him over the top, whereas the SUV may have pushed him more, reducing the impact area to only his lower body, which stands less of a chance of killing him.

Already discussed: accidents are not repeatable under the same circumstances. So who knows whether he would have been safer or worse off in a smaller car?

One point I will give you, a smaller car is more likely to be able to stop and get out of the way faster.

[crisis]

One point I will give you, a smaller car is more likely to be able to stop and get out of the way faster.

Thats true but will say twice I have had to lock up my landcruiser to avoid hitting another car and 4 x 265mm of rubber does wash of speed pretty quickly. I didnt think it would pull up like it did.

[Karrmann]

well with suvs, they are big and bulkey, when I drove one (rental) when I was doing the speed limit it felt like I was poking along but with my Escort, I could do 40 and feel like i'm speeding

[Matra et Alpine]

Thats true but will say twice I have had to lock up my landcruiser to avoid hitting another car and 4 x 265mm of rubber does wash of speed pretty quickly. I didnt think it would pull up like it did.

What pressure do you run your tyres at ?

4x4 block tyres have less grip than 'street' tread.
Unless you drop the pressure you're running less grip and probably why it locked up

[Karrmann]

over inflastion is dangerous because with SUVS if the tires are overinflated it will take 1 sharp turn to put you on your side

[RX7 FC3S]

driving a "normal" car, and the kid may have been unharmed or at least less harmed.Question: why did you found out later??? didnt you stop and took care of that person? didnt you visit him (in hiospital)??? strange sh*t.......

We stopped, and sort of took care of him a little bit but couldn't do too much as we are not trained and were not supposed to touch the person wounded in accident like this. I knew that his leg was very likely broken, but I didn't know it as a fact until the other guy who visited him told me. The kid was from another city that is very far from our place, so visiting was not easy (especially I didn't have my car yet at that time). If it is a hit and run, I wouldn't say it in here, don't want to get my friend into trouble. It was not a good experience and everyone in the car (especially the driver) wished it was ourselves that got hit, not the kid.


It is hard to explain the accident unless you are in the scene... the distance was so short that I believe even if it was a smaller car, we still wouldn't be able to avoid the kid.

[werty]

over inflastion is dangerous because with SUVS if the tires are overinflated it will take 1 sharp turn to put you on your side

one sharp turn can flip alot of cars, suv's, and trucks, regardless of over inflated tires

[crisis]

What pressure do you run your tyres at ?

4x4 block tyres have less grip than 'street' tread.
Unless you drop the pressure you're running less grip and probably why it locked up

40psi . Its probably a bit high unladen but contrary to popular belief neither myself or my wife have gone around a corner and rolled over. (!?). They are allterrain, not mud tyres so are a compromise between road and off road. In any event I stopped in time.

[yashkins]

It's certainly nice to drive one. i've driven the rx300 and my parents' range rover. it's great. i loved it. i enjoy it much more than driving a sedan for example. it's more comfortable. much more room.