Theunicornhunter 2 Posted June 19, 2003 Maybe this should have gone in Risa but I've had this on my mind for a while. You may have noticed SUV's have been under attack lately. Some environmental groups are physically destroying them on car lots and in a real creative use of biblical interpretation we now have the "What Would Jesus Drive" campaign. Gas consumption isn't my issue with SUV's. It's how fast they drive...we all know the greater the mass and speed the higher the force of impact. SUV's are death on wheels -if I'm ever hit by an SUV...I will be gone, even if the accident isn't my fault. To say I feel strongly about this subject is an understatement I feel blood boiling mad because the SUV trend is another instance of where having more money gives you a greater chance at life. I live in a rural community - I drive through farmland to work everyday and I get passed by a lot of speeding trucks and SUVs. If I had money I'd probably buy an SUV in self defense. Some people want to tax SUV's for their excessive gas consumption; but personally I think speeding tickets should be weighted by the size of your vehicle. Okay let's hear your response. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Xeroc 0 Posted June 19, 2003 I don't agree with weighting speeding tickets - but I do agree that SUVs are destructive. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Goose 0 Posted June 20, 2003 Stardate:23466.8 I agree with you but arent all cars destructive.You could get killed just as easily by getting hit by a honda civic at 100MPH as u could by getting hit by a Ford Explorer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Turak 0 Posted June 20, 2003 Maybe this should have gone in Risa but I've had this on my mind for a while. You may have noticed SUV's have been under attack lately. Some environmental groups are physically destroying them on car lots and in a real creative use of biblical interpretation we now have the "What Would Jesus Drive" campaign. Gas consumption isn't my issue with SUV's. It's how fast they drive...we all know the greater the mass and speed the higher the force of impact. SUV's are death on wheels -if I'm ever hit by an SUV...I will be gone, even if the accident isn't my fault. To say I feel strongly about this subject is an understatement I feel blood boiling mad because the SUV trend is another instance of where having more money gives you a greater chance at life. I live in a rural community - I drive through farmland to work everyday and I get passed by a lot of speeding trucks and SUVs. If I had money I'd probably buy an SUV in self defense. Some people want to tax SUV's for their excessive gas consumption; but personally I think speeding tickets should be weighted by the size of your vehicle. Okay let's hear your response. I too agree. I also agree with the fact that all cars are dangerous...but I would rather be hit by a Civic doing 100mph than an Explorer doing 100mph....if I REALLY had a choice Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Admiral Kirk 1 Posted June 20, 2003 I totally agree. What frightens me is when I see a speeding SUV with the driver on the phone. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Captain Jean-Luc Picard 1 Posted June 20, 2003 I agree as well. Whenever I hear about SUV crashes, it's usually some soccer mom who was talking on her cell phone. Has anyone noticed that most SUV drivers are women? At least, that's how it is in my area. If you're off in the country like TheUnicornHunter, than that's cool having a SUV as they have a pratical use, but it just seems that people buy them to feel powerful on the road. TheUnicornHunter's right again... if you're in a little 5-person-car and get hit by another car, pickup, mini-van, or whatever, you'll have a 50/50 chance of walking away. You get hit by an SUV, and it's just gonna rip right through your car, most likely killing you. In conclussion, if you're in an environment where you need an SUV, go for it. If you're in the city, just get a van or mini-van. :o Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Riaan 0 Posted June 24, 2003 I totally agree. What frightens me is when I see a speeding SUV with the driver on the phone. Amen to that !!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
joeybear 0 Posted June 24, 2003 i agree with CJLP - if you don't need it, why use it? - it's sad that automobiles on the whole are so destructive to our environment - i hate watching traffic go by, seeing empty seats in vehicles that are designed with no mind to function - whatever happened to the steam engine, eh? - gotta love those ads, too, where the family conquers the outdoors in their new SUV - yeah, take the mountain trail, jack! - yah right!!! B) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RomanticStrings 0 Posted June 24, 2003 SUVs aren't the problem. The SUVs don't kill people. It's the drivers. The accidents are 100% the driver's fault, not that of the SUV. We should tax bad drivers and weight their speeding tickets. SUVs aren't bad drivers and SUVs don't speed. How could you weight a speeding ticked based on size when the size doesn't matter. Speeding is speeding. The drivers are the problem. It is outrageous to even attempt to blame SUVs. ~Conor Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Captain Jean-Luc Picard 1 Posted June 24, 2003 SUVs aren't the problem. The SUVs don't kill people. It's the drivers. The accidents are 100% the driver's fault, not that of the SUV. We should tax bad drivers and weight their speeding tickets. SUVs aren't bad drivers and SUVs don't speed. How could you weight a speeding ticked based on size when the size doesn't matter. Speeding is speeding. The drivers are the problem. It is outrageous to even attempt to blame SUVs. ~Conor I agree except when you said SUV's aren't the problem. They are the problem, as they can be a lethal weapon in a car crash. What can be done about this is encourage people to buy more pratical vehicles for their surroundings. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xenexian 2 Posted June 24, 2003 I agree that SUV are probably one of the worst ideas to come out of Detroit in this generation. The people who buy them don't need them. They are the soccer moms and other such suburban dwellers who could be just fine with a mini van. They are dangerous and they will kill you if you are on the receiving end of an accident with them. The insurance companies killed the Fiero and they could certainly do the same to SUV's if they charge the premiums accordingly for driving such a dangerous vehicle. I've even gone so far as re-naming them SAV's (Suburban Assault Vehicles), since the people I see driving them seem intent on driving as aggressively as possible. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Theunicornhunter 2 Posted June 24, 2003 How could you weight a speeding ticked based on size when the size doesn't matter. Speeding is speeding. ~Conor I think you missed the point of my original post. The force of impact in a crash is a function of both mass and speed. (This is basic science ). An SUV going 'x' miles an hour will do a lot more damage than a civic going 'x' miles an hour. So I believe speeding tickets should be weighted according to the damage you're likely to do - the idea is to provide a deterrent to speeding. I also believe, as xenexian suggested, insurance rates should be higher because, after all, they will need to pay more death benefits. Regarding blaming SUV's - since it's people not SUV's that pay speeding tickets and worry about points on their license - it would seem I am blaming drivers. Part of the problem is that people feel safe in SUV's and they drive faster. The construction, particularly the height, of SUV's also makes them more dangerous to passenger cars. In reality SUVs should be driven slower not faster than passenger cars. I believe people should be responsible for their choices and if peple choose to drive a vehicle that presents an inordinate threat to the welfare of other people they should own up to it. xenexian Posted on Jun 24 2003, 05:22 PM SAV's (Suburban Assault Vehicles), I love it! B) Edited intro Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RomanticStrings 0 Posted June 25, 2003 SAV actually means Sports Activity Vehicle. BMW's X5, to be exact. Sports Assault Vehicle seems to mean that the vehicle is made and used specifically to kill. Is that what you mean? Any person that owns an SUV (or SAV) should be arrested on the charge of attempted, premeditated murder? Wouldn't that clog our jail system? Then we'd have to pay taxes to get more jails, let other prisoners go, and then we'd have a mess. Not to mention all of those soccer-playing kids with no moms. They'd need housing. Their fathers can't handle them on their own. We'd need to house the kids or teach our men how to become moms. This would be a big money spender. Oh, wait, you'd love to spend money making the roads a safer place by making everyone drive little plastic cars that would be destroyed upon hitting a squirrel. Hmm... ~Conor Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Theunicornhunter 2 Posted June 25, 2003 SAV actually means Sports Activity Vehicle. BMW's X5, to be exact. Sports Assault Vehicle seems to mean that the vehicle is made and used specifically to kill. Is that what you mean? Any person that owns an SUV (or SAV) should be arrested on the charge of attempted, premeditated murder? Wouldn't that clog our jail system? Then we'd have to pay taxes to get more jails, let other prisoners go, and then we'd have a mess. Not to mention all of those soccer-playing kids with no moms. They'd need housing. Their fathers can't handle them on their own. We'd need to house the kids or teach our men how to become moms. This would be a big money spender. ~Conor What is the matter with you? If you wish to attack me or my opinions please use my actual opinions not some bizarre, conspiracy-theory type concept you have conjured out of nowhere. Oh, wait, you'd love to spend money making the roads a safer place by making everyone drive little plastic cars that would be destroyed upon hitting a squirrel. Hmm... What is the matter with you? Edited first sentence Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RomanticStrings 0 Posted June 25, 2003 I'm merely making a point that it's outrageous to blame an SUV for accidents. Speeding is stupid no matter what. Anyone who speeds should pay big bucks because they were breaking the law. It matters not what they were driving. Speeding is speeding. ~Conor Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Theunicornhunter 2 Posted June 25, 2003 I'm merely making a point that it's outrageous to blame an SUV for accidents. Speeding is stupid no matter what. Anyone who speeds should pay big bucks because they were breaking the law. It matters not what they were driving. Speeding is speeding. ~Conor I ask again...have you ever taken a science or math course? Do you really not understand the formula for calculating force? And do you not understand the physical construction of SUV's makes them more dangerous to passenger cars than other passenger cars? Are you really unaware that highway safety experts have statistics showing that SUV's kill more people because of their mass? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RomanticStrings 0 Posted June 25, 2003 But do you understand the physics of safety. A car driven the right way is safe, no matter what the mass. Of course, an SUV traveling at "x" speed needs more time to slow down than a smaller car travelling at "x" speed. But an SUV traveling at "safe" speed with attentive driver needs less time to slow down because driver reacts quickly and smartly to situation and avoids accident. ~Conor Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Theunicornhunter 2 Posted June 25, 2003 But do you understand the physics of safety. A car driven the right way is safe, no matter what the mass. Of course, an SUV traveling at "x" speed needs more time to slow down than a smaller car travelling at "x" speed. But an SUV traveling at "safe" speed with attentive driver needs less time to slow down because driver reacts quickly and smartly to situation and avoids accident. ~Conor drive carefully, dude. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Theunicornhunter 2 Posted June 25, 2003 But do you understand the physics of safety. A car driven the right way is safe, no matter what the mass. Of course, an SUV traveling at "x" speed needs more time to slow down than a smaller car travelling at "x" speed. But an SUV traveling at "safe" speed with attentive driver needs less time to slow down because driver reacts quickly and smartly to situation and avoids accident. ~Conor drive carefully and have a safe life. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Indy 8 Posted June 25, 2003 I have a slightly different point of view. I happen to own one of these devil vehicles everybody is talking about. It is a 4-wheel drive Ford Bronco. It was purchased for the sole purpose of transporting my husband to work in harsh winter conditions. He would often have to drive through 3 feet of snow before the plows came through. We purposely chose the bigger vehicle feeling it would provide more safety, cause ya never know when one of those trees is gonna jump right out in front of you. So I must apologize for driving this awful vehicle, actually my daughter is driving it now. And we painted it a bright yellow (so that everybody could see her coming). Honestly, we have never had an accident in that vehicle, except for the time when someone rear-ended us while we were stopped at a traffic light. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Captain Jean-Luc Picard 1 Posted June 25, 2003 I have a slightly different point of view. I happen to own one of these devil vehicles everybody is talking about. It is a 4-wheel drive Ford Bronco. It was purchased for the sole purpose of transporting my husband to work in harsh winter conditions. He would often have to drive through 3 feet of snow before the plows came through. We purposely chose the bigger vehicle feeling it would provide more safety, cause ya never know when one of those trees is gonna jump right out in front of you. So I must apologize for driving this awful vehicle, actually my daughter is driving it now. And we painted it a bright yellow (so that everybody could see her coming). Honestly, we have never had an accident in that vehicle, except for the time when someone rear-ended us while we were stopped at a traffic light. Now see, isn't that a perfect reason to own an SUV? They even painted it yellow so their kid could be seen! :) Smar move! B) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RomanticStrings 0 Posted June 25, 2003 But do you understand the physics of safety. A car driven the right way is safe, no matter what the mass. Of course, an SUV traveling at "x" speed needs more time to slow down than a smaller car travelling at "x" speed. But an SUV traveling at "safe" speed with attentive driver needs less time to slow down because driver reacts quickly and smartly to situation and avoids accident. ~Conor drive carefully and have a safe life. When I say "safe," being in parenthesis, I mean to use it like a variable, but I mean really the legal speed, or driving under or up to the posted speed limit. I do drive safe, actually, but thank you. ~Conor Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Theunicornhunter 2 Posted June 26, 2003 I have a slightly different point of view. I happen to own one of these devil vehicles everybody is talking about. It is a 4-wheel drive Ford Bronco. It was purchased for the sole purpose of transporting my husband to work in harsh winter conditions. He would often have to drive through 3 feet of snow before the plows came through. We purposely chose the bigger vehicle feeling it would provide more safety, cause ya never know when one of those trees is gonna jump right out in front of you. So I must apologize for driving this awful vehicle, actually my daughter is driving it now. And we painted it a bright yellow (so that everybody could see her coming). Honestly, we have never had an accident in that vehicle, except for the time when someone rear-ended us while we were stopped at a traffic light. The discussion wasn't about "owning" an SUV - The issue was about speeding and the increased danger SUV's present in a crash. If I had kids I'd put them in an SUV too. It's the people that drive their SUV's like bats out of h-ll and ride 1/2 car length from my rear bumper that I oppose. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Theunicornhunter 2 Posted June 26, 2003 Just came across this - not looking for it. What would Jesus Drive - letters Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
