Detroit’s Blind Spot

It's completely backwards to argue that because some people drive faux assault vehicles, so should everyone else. By that logic, every time some manufacturer comes out with a larger monster the rest of us should go out and buy something even bigger. Where does it end? When we all have tanks and locomotives just to go to the grocery store? When every vehicle has a grenade launcher?

The problem isn't the safe driver or the small car. It's those troglodytes who think that their "freedom" and "manliness" is expressed by buying a truck that gets 8 mpg and can blast everyone else out of their way because their gas taxes paid for more of the road and their cell phone call is the most important conversation on earth.

The manufacturers are just as guilty by promoting these hulking monstrosities as "safe" when the reality is that they only make drivers FEEL safe - witness the H3, the 2 Mazdas that failed crash tests, etc. etc. Forbes has reported that more and more designers are playing "Me Too" with higher beltlines, smaller windows and raised rear ends, all to enhance a cocooned FEELING of safety when in reality what they're doing is just creating huge blind spots!

We've somehow been conditioned to think that it doesn't matter if we ARE safe so long as we FEEL safe, that we can drive whatever we want regardless of the effects on other drivers or the environment, and that all this juvenile selfishness has no consequences. We've gotten fat, dumb, and happy (literally!) and can't see it. But the rest of the world can - why is anyone surprised at $100+ oil and buck-fifty euros?

Thank you for promoting our peoples safety by promoting the horific statistic of casualties on the homefront. i hope you never have to come to my trauma center to id your loved one.
If you are not suicidal do not buy a motorcycle!!!! Parents do all you can to keep your babies off of them!!! They should be banned! Or at least 21 and over for they are much more dangerous than alcohol. If you are suicidal do it with a shotgun in the woods or do it on a highway on a motorcycle with no helmet.

Why do people need gas-guzzling tanks to commute to work or drive to the grocery store? They are a threat to the safety of everyone who doesn't drive a vehicle of the same size and weight. They should be reclassified to reflect what they truly are; pleasure craft. The purchase of such vehicles should be taxed to the hilt and the operators of such vehicles should be leagally required to carry extra insurance (super liabiltiy) for the damage they may cause to smaller vehicles and the greater bodily harm they may inflict upon the operators of smaller vehicles.

I had the dubious privlidge of repairing a honda insight at the body shop I worked at a couple of years ago. The customer stated that they were not paying attention when leaving a store, and selected foward instead of reverse when leaving a parking spot. Fortunality there was a pole infront of them, hitting it instead of another car or grounding the car on a curb. Unfortunality for them this pole caused over five thousand dollars in damages. Honda in trying to make the car more fuel effeciant, cut as much material as they could. Reinforcement bars, the first piece of metal on the end of the car, are typically 1/8 steel or 1/4 aluminium and weighed somewhere around 20 lbs. The insights rebar was 1/8 aluminium and wieghed about 8 lbs. The typical ones probably wouldn't have to be replaced in a crash like this. The insights was caved in pretty bad. Another 5 mph or so, and it would have taken out the ac condenser and radiator.

The author is typical of most U.S. citizens in that he feels he is entitled to drive any vehicle he wishes, the earth and the environment be damned. His deep concern for "safety" is a red herring. What he is masking is a desire to drive an M-1 Abrams tank through the streets of Manhattan while sipping his Starbucks latte and sending text messages to his drug dealer. Shame on you! Your planet-piggishness is precisely what has brought civilization to the brink of destruction. Perhaps the world would be a better place if all hom sapiens were to disappear.

Some numbers from Sweden:
Swedish deaths in traffic last year was 475. Dividing US deaths (42000), by that number, I get 88.4.
Swedish population is 9 million. Dividing US population is (300 million) with that number, I get 33.4.
Swedish population density is 20/km2. US population density is 30/km2.
This means you are 300% more likely to in a traffic accident in the US compared to Sweden, measured
per capita and population density.
Swedish cars, while larger than most european ones, are certainly smaller than US cars.
Unfortunately I can't quantify this difference.
Swedes most likely drive less than americans, but I find it hard to believe that we drive 75% less,
measured per capita and population density.population
Car

Detroit deserves the problems that that have economically--they've put all their eggs in the SUV, truck basket. In reviewing the 2009 cars that will hit the showrooms soon, I'm very disappointed in the posted mileages. Why can't American car manufacturers produce vehicles that average at least 35 mph? I don't see any creativity; why not bring out a wagon and hatchback that rivals the Toyota Prius? We need more useful, efficient vehicles that are "right sized", not more of the same.

Detroit better get with the program, or else they'll be left in the dust. In looking at

De

Of course a small car will come off worse against a Hummer--but to my mind, that means that the Hummer is the more unsafe vehicle. Unless you have six kids and live in the Yukon, no one needs a Hummer or an SUV for their morning commute. Buy a station wagon or a mini-van, or just buy a regular sedan or hybrid and teach your children that sometimes, sadly, we have to sit next to our annoying little brother. You'll save money, save gas, save time finding a parking spot, and save the world.

Small cars have been part of the American road experience for quite some time (Ford Festiva, Geo Metro anyone?) so trying to say survival chances are limited by car size takes away the facts of most traffic fatalities (like the alcohol impaired driver in the article mentioned Hummer). Heck, I'd buy that cheap car from India if they'd bring it here as long as is it had a seat belt and got the advertised gas mileage. I'd rather idle for hundreds of hours a year during the morning/evening commute in my hamster wheel powered machine than a V-8 guzzling behemoth. Thanks for making me feel like I'm facing impending doom everytime I get on the on-ramp. If safety is the issue on roads, then bigger fines, prison time, etc. needs to be implemented to facilitate better drivers.

Romney gave Huckabee a golden chance.

In the NH debate, the Turnaround Chance slapped the Huckster back by saying we can't be free of oil (or foreign oil) in 10 years.

The Huckster should have said "OH YEAH? Ya dam pessimist! If the American people put their mind to it. they can do anything they want, and we don't need old hacks like you telling us we can't"

The Huckster missed a magic moment.

He could and should have spun the Republican nomination into a referendum on whether America can and should get free of foregin oil in 10 years.

Jeepers folks.

Two terms from now, what single thing do we want from these guys.

One thing we all agree on... we want to get outta bed in 10 years and know that we put the Ayatollahs and Chavez outside of our financing.

And Turnaround Boy, it is doable.

The Huckster could have grab the big picture vision and drive, brought his Evangelical base along "Bibllical stewarding of the Earth", America first, etc. and given Obama a real challenge as the visionary of tangible and determined change.

Huckabee blew it, and just let himself get slapped down by Mitt.

Huckabeee could have gone into Michigan a dangerous man, talking about a Detriot renaissance.

Blew it. Blew it. Blew it.

I agree if people slow down stay off the cell phones while driving and do not drive while intoxicated it would be a safer place. People are not that way we wait til the last minute for everything, We are the fattest country in the world. We use the most fuel ,we are in a rush to have the biggest, fastest cars on the road. Now we are paying for it. We should have been green a long time ago. I bought a sport touring motorcycle to commute back and forth to work. I re-geared my motorcycle to get almost 300 miles per 4 1/2 gallons of fuel. I do not drive a car, last year alone I saved almost $3600.00 in gas and insurance. So as a country we all need to stop being so selfish and arrogant and steip up to change the future for our country.

Joe
USMC

I also didn't realize that Americans really get to decide what gasoline prices are....I was under the impression that OPEC controls the majority of the world's production, distribution, and futures commodities traders in NYC (not the American people) determine the price well in advance. By the way, isn't that the reason that GW took his recent sword-twirling trip to Saudi Arabia?? Oil price issues? Just wondering aloud. Curious to what others have to say.

I also didn't realize that Americans really get to decide what gasoline prices are....I was under the impression that OPEC controls the majority of the world's production, distribution, and futures commodities traders in NYC (not the American people) determine the price well in advance. By the way, isn't that the reason that GW took his recent sword-twirling trip to Saudi Arabia?? Oil price issues? Just wondering aloud. Curious to what others have to say.

JohninMonroevillePA..

You can't be a liberal fascist....because a fascist is a very, very FAR TO THE RIGHT winger. The left-wing of the political spectrum is a COMMUNIST. Please do your research on politics before commenting!

Keith Naughton is caught in the past. Huge cars that consume more energy than some homes and smash everything they hit are "good" and small cars that use one-third of the energy a normal car uses are "bad". That's only true in big-oil boardrooms, Republican fund-raising events, and thirty years ago.

Are you worried about safety? Then let's ban any vehicle over 0.5 ton from the freeways. That's the least expensive option for everyone. We wont need all the fancy safety gear if all of the cars have soft shells around safety cages; cars like that exist right now. With less deadly crashes, we will not only save medical expenses, but also save all those missed hours of work.

Yes, Hummers lower American productivity.

Besides, if you can afford a Hummer, you can buy a ranch to drive it around on.

Keith Naughton is caught in the past. Huge cars that consume more energy than some homes and smash everything they hit are "good" and small cars that use one-third of the energy a normal car uses are "bad". That's only true in big-oil boardrooms, Republican fund-raising events, and thirty years ago.

Are you worried about safety? Then let's ban any vehicle over 0.5 ton from the freeways. That's the least expensive option for everyone. We wont need all the fancy safety gear if all of the cars have soft shells around safety cages; cars like that exist right now. With less deadly crashes, we will not only save medical expenses, but also save all those missed hours of work.

Yes, Hummers lower American productivity.

Besides, if you can afford a Hummer, you can buy a ranch to drive it around on.