Another one bites the dust

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » June 28, 2005, 8:42 am

As I was leaving the office I saw yet another SUV on it's roof yesterday, those things need huge warning labels that flash every time they start up:

This vehicle is not a car

If they'd have been driving a car there (probably) still would have been a wreck, with wheel\tire and maybe steering damage. Rather than rolling over a center median and landing on it's roof.

I've never got my camera with me when I need it.

Roads are (gasp!) slippery when it first starts raining! Driving an SUV in your normal idiotic fashion doesn't work too well. Of course it wasn't the drivers fault, the vehicle is defective.

I hope the driver is OK, he or she was already gone when I left the office.

Kaldaur · Post by **Kaldaur** » June 28, 2005, 11:23 am

We bought one of the new SUV 2.0's a few years back. They're called minivans. Apparently, this upgrade gives you the same amount of room, adds like 15 miles to the gallon, and has added safety features like not fucking blowing up or rolling in the event of 2mph winds.

Post by **Sylvus** » June 28, 2005, 11:42 am

Idiots roll their sedans every day, too.

It's not the car, it's the driver.

Mr Bacon · Post by **Mr Bacon** » June 28, 2005, 11:44 am

Kaldaur wrote:We bought one of the new SUV 2.0's a few years back. They're called minivans. Apparently, this upgrade gives you the same amount of room, adds like 15 miles to the gallon, and has added safety features like not fucking blowing up or rolling in the event of 2mph winds.

Unfortunately it comes with 2 children, loss of "looking cool" while driving, and lots of spilled fast food.

Ashur · Post by **Ashur** » June 28, 2005, 11:44 am

Haha - I'm with you on that Kaldaur. My wife drives a Dodge Caravan and I don't mind driving it one bit when I need to take my daughter somewhere. I still drive my Saturn to work.

The only time I look at SUVs with envy are those five days out of any given year that there's been a recent snowstorm and the cleanup is still in process. My Saturn can't handle deep snow.

masteen · Post by **masteen** » June 28, 2005, 12:11 pm

Sylvus, in all my time here in FL, I've seen one car on its roof, and it had hit a semi, but after every rainstorm in Tampa, I'd see a fucking explorer or durango on it's roof. And don't say florida drivers, because most of the fucks who live in Tampa are snowbirds fled from shitholes like Ohio and Michigan.

Bubba Grizz · Post by **Bubba Grizz** » June 28, 2005, 12:13 pm

I am one of those few rare people who wouldn't mind driving or owning a minivan. They look pretty sweet imho with all the new features like stow and go and dvd players. For parents who have kids going to college this kind of thing is a must have for moving. We don't have one yet but I can see it in our future.

Chidoro · Post by **Chidoro** » June 28, 2005, 12:17 pm

What's interesting though is how few suv's actually are designed with serious inclimate weather as it's mission. Some really don't have that much extra room at all either. My civic actually handles snow pretty well so long as I don't have too many upgrades/downgrades and my tires are in good shape(which I guess could be said about most cars that are FWD or AWD). Heck, the subaru outback has higher ground clearance than a ton of vehicles classified as suv's.

I really think minivans are making a comeback. The designs can't go the "cool" route so they go the "so many features you can't ignore me" route. I am seeing a lot more Sienna's, Odyssey's, and Town @ Country's than I have ever remembered seeing.

Hayley · Post by **Hayley** » June 28, 2005, 12:25 pm

I hate admitting it, but we're in the market for one. Aside from the fact that it's a minivan, I absolutely love the Honda Odyssey (Touring). I love the nav system with the hidden CD changer, the DVD Entertainment package, the fact that it really handles like a car, all the room, and the decent (better than an SUV) gas mileage. It's just more practical a vehicle for our purpose...a 16 month old with hopefully another on the way. I have a feeling I'll be attaining the 'soccer mom' title soon.

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » June 28, 2005, 1:05 pm

masteen wrote:And don't say florida drivers, because most of the fucks who live in Tampa are snowbirds fled from shitholes like Ohio and Michigan.

VA (iirc) tags

Post by **Sylvus** » June 28, 2005, 3:22 pm

masteen wrote:Sylvus, in all my time here in FL, I've seen one car on its roof, and it had hit a semi, but after every rainstorm in Tampa, I'd see a fucking explorer or durango on it's roof. And don't say florida drivers, because most of the fucks who live in Tampa are snowbirds fled from shitholes like Ohio and Michigan.

And i saw a minivan here in michigan on its side on my drive home sunday, it held me up for a half hour while they cleared the accident. I think you're exaggerating about seeing SUVs on their roof every time it rains, and I think you're probably thinking of New York people.

There are poontons of SUVs in Michigan, and I rarely see them on their roof in rain, sleet or snow. The third one we have a bit more of than you do. Again, it's stupid drivers. I've driven SUVs my whole life and never come close to rolling one.

I know we've had this conversation a million times and i probably sound like a broken record, but if my mom had been driving a different vehicle when that semi ran the red light, she would have died in 1988. That's all the reason I need to be an SUV supporter, poor gas mileage and random fucktards I don't know be damned.

Pherr the Dorf · Post by **Pherr the Dorf** » June 28, 2005, 3:36 pm

most compact and midsize SUV's have a low rollover risk, it's just when you get to fullsize they become unstable

masteen · Post by **masteen** » June 28, 2005, 5:37 pm

So Sylvus, you're saying that ONLY the fact that it was an SUV saved her? What was it about the SUV-ness of the SUV that protected her more than any other largeish vehicle would (Lincoln Town Car, ect)?

Canelek · Post by **Canelek** » June 28, 2005, 6:09 pm

A SUV is just a minivan without a sliding door anyways. However, if you must buy a SUV, buy Toyota, not that American crap!

Back to accidents:

I saw a dodge truck straddling the center median (~3') the other day on the I-84--and this was like at 10PM with no traffic. Nice driving!

Post by **Sylvus** » June 28, 2005, 6:35 pm

masteen wrote:So Sylvus, you're saying that ONLY the fact that it was an SUV saved her? What was it about the SUV-ness of the SUV that protected her more than any other largeish vehicle would (Lincoln Town Car, ect)?

I know that a smaller car would have been the end, I'm not certain that a Town Car would not have done the trick, but I saw her old truck and if it hadn't been as big as it was there would have been nothing left. There may be some wiggle-room on exactly which type of vehicles would have kept her alive, but a little, fuel-efficient civic or some bullshit like that wouldn't have done the trick, I can assure you. The semi ran a red light as my mom was going through a green, and she struck it in one of its axels, which then drove over the car and caused it to flip several times trapping her upside-down in a hunk of metal that was half as wide and about a third shorter than it used to be. They had to use the jaws of life to cut her out, her pelvis was dislocated, she had a closed-head injury and on the way to the hospital her heart stopped from shock and they had to use the paddles to bring her back.

I don't know if you were ever a kid whose dad woke him up in the middle of the night to go to the hospital, after your mom had been in a very serious accident that you weren't sure she would leave the hospital from and ultimately would prevent her from ever working again, but I have and perhaps it caused some sort of mental scarring that forces me to be unreasonable on this topic. I attribute at least some portion of her being alive today to the vehicle that she was driving, as does she, and she has never driven anything else since that day.

SUVs don't just flip over when it starts raining, nor are they the only cars that flip over. Poor or inattentive drivers cause that.

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » June 28, 2005, 7:31 pm

Sylvus wrote:SUVs don't just flip over when it starts raining, nor are they the only cars that flip over. Poor or inattentive drivers cause that.

When it's someone who's always driven cars (like an idiot) shifts to something that has a much higher center of gravity and continues to drive the same way is just waiting for a problem.

It's really hard to flip most cars, though I've managed to

The amount of energy to roll it up and over the center of gravity exceeds that required to flip high centered vehicles by a pretty significant margin. More weight, higher up=easier roll. One of you nerds can do the math

Person that flipped the other day slid across an intersection from taking the corner too fast, when they hit the far side curb sideways, it rolled. A car and most minivans would have stopped right there, probably with wheel and supension damage.

Most minivans are low centered anymore, especially as compared to a Ford Escape, Jeep Liberty, Suburban, etc...

Kylere · Post by **Kylere** » June 28, 2005, 8:08 pm

SUV owners tend to be cockssuckers at a rate 4 times that of the average population, and they all seem to buy into the idea that 4wd means 8 wheel braking.

Zaelath · Post by **Zaelath** » June 28, 2005, 9:07 pm

Sylvus wrote: SUVs don't just flip over when it starts raining, nor are they the only cars that flip over. Poor or inattentive drivers cause that.

With no disrepect to your mom meant; good, attentive drivers don't drive through green lights when there's a semi running the red.

Zaelath · Post by **Zaelath** » June 28, 2005, 9:08 pm

Kylere wrote:SUV owners tend to be cockssuckers at a rate 4 times that of the average population, and they all seem to buy into the idea that 4wd means 8 wheel braking.

Hence the name for SUV here: Wank Tank.

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » June 28, 2005, 9:51 pm

a good number of smaller cars do better in impact tests than the vast majority of SUV's. especially american built SUV's that put 600 airbags into their SUV's and then the fucking thing explodes when you hit it with a shopping cart.

the feeling of being safe by riding around in a huge fucking gas guzzling shitbox supercedes actually being safe for a lot of people.

Kelshara · Post by **Kelshara** » June 29, 2005, 12:02 am

I laugh every time I see a SUV off the road. And duing an Ohio snowstorm 95% of the cars off the roads are SUVs. I point and laugh as I go by in my low to the ground sports car.

That idiot in the left lane talking on a cell phone going exactly the speed limit? 9 out of 10 times a SUV.

The idiot who changes lanes and pushes you off the road? 8 out of 10 times a SUV.

I laughed my ass off last winther when several SUVs got stuck in the snow and I pushed my way out using the front as a snow plow. If you think a SUV is good in bad weather you truly don't know what you are talking about, most of them can't get out of a mud hole.

If you want a car with plenty of room and good in bad weather get a Subaru. If you want to waste a gazillion dollars get a SUV.

Canelek · Post by **Canelek** » June 29, 2005, 12:47 am

Subaru makes some good vehicles--namely the 80s model wagons. Hell, half of CO drives them. as for me, I like my '01 Toyota Taco 4x4--damn fun small truck and handles awesome offroad.

Kilmoll the Sexy · Post by **Kilmoll the Sexy** » June 29, 2005, 10:47 am

If you see an SUV, about 75% of the time it is a female driver by herself or with one single child in a car seat. At least 50% of them will either be on the phone, applying makeup, or turning around into the back seat to do something with said child. Therein lies the reason SUV's are usually off the road or hitting someone from the back or otherwise causing danger in traffic.

Aruman · Post by **Aruman** » June 29, 2005, 11:24 am

masteen wrote:... because most of the fucks who live in Tampa are snowbirds fled from shitholes like Ohio and Michigan.

That's funny... I think of Florida as a shithole. I live in Michigan and plan on staying here.

Boogahz · Post by **Boogahz** » June 29, 2005, 12:46 pm

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/testing/n ... Causes.htm

Causes

Rollovers are complex crash incidents and are particularly violent in nature. Rollovers, more so than other types of crashes, reflect the interaction of the driver, road, vehicle, and environmental factors. So while vehicle type does play a significant role, other factors such as driver behavior and road and environmental conditions can also cause a vehicle to roll over.

Vehicle Type

All types of vehicles can rollover. However, taller, narrower vehicles such as SUVs, pickups, and vans have higher centers of gravity, and thus are more susceptible to rollover if involved in a single-vehicle crash.

Speed

Fatal rollover crashes are speed-related more often than fatal non-rollover crashes. Some 40% of fatal rollover crashes involved excessive speeding . Additionally, nearly ¾ of fatal rollovers took place where the posted speed limit was 55 miles per hour or higher.

Alcohol

Nearly half of all fatal rollover crashes involve alcohol . Impairment can result from any blood alcohol concentration (BAC) above .00 . Even a small amount of alcohol will negatively affect your judgment, muscular coordination, and vision, making you more likely to lose control of your vehicle.

Location

Rural roads tend to be undivided and without barriers. They are thus more likely to be the scene of a fatal rollover. Almost ¾ of fatal rollovers occur in rural areas where the posted speed limit is typically 55 miles per hour or higher.

Routine Driving

NHTSA data also suggest that over 90% of the vehicles in fatal, single-vehicle rollover crashes were involved in routine driving maneuvers (going straight or negotiating a curve) at the time of the crash. This further suggests that driver behavior (distraction, inattentiveness, speeding, and impaired driving) plays a significant role in rollover crashes.

Single-vehicle Crashes

NHTSA data show that nearly 85% of all rollover-related fatalities are the result of single-vehicle crashes. This means that the majority of rollover crashes and fatalities do not involve any other vehicle besides the one that rolled over, further suggesting that driver behavior plays a significant role in rollover crashes.