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SUVs
Tom Brosz — (archived)

Someone once said, "never argue with anyone who buys ink by the barrel." A similar saying for this board might be "don't get into an argument with someone who has invented their own cosmology," but, there you go. ;)

A long-time friend was just killed while a passenger in a sedan by an asshole in one who rear-ended the car, which was stopped at a traffic light at an intersection. She was the mother of three, and coached one of my daughters' teams in their Odyssey of the Mind competition. The driver and the other two passengers were treated and released. Thanks for asking.

I am honestly sorry to hear that, but this kind of thing long predates the SUV. The difference might have been that twenty years ago four people might have died. Or maybe none. Who knows?

One might also consider the mileage standards that have made plastic and tinfoil automobiles the rule rather than the exception. My old Delta 88 had solid steel bumpers that could, (and did,) put a dent in a fire hydrant. Later cars had hydraulic steel and rubber bumpers that you could actually hit something with at low speeds, and the bumper absorbed the shock without harm to you or the guy you hit. Not any more. Bumpers are for looks only, and half the cars on the road today I could crumple into wreckage with a ball-peen hammer.

This is one reason some families buy larger cars. People can, and will, argue all day about whether this is "fair" to those who choose smaller cars. Standard SUVs are a lot cheaper than the luxury sedans with the two dozen airbags.

My own car is a 1993 Eurovan--large, but not heavily-built. I would not do well in a major collision either, most likely. The bumpers are pathetic fiberglass constructions that crack with the slightest bump.

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