[at-l] Why off topic, SUV's

[bullard@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Jim Bullard)]

At 10:46 PM 1/7/2003 -0600, Shane Steinkamp wrote:
> > ***   Beyond that design flaws overlap into other areas
> > like tires. In the last week here in Florida 2 SUV's had
> > blowouts and rolled over out on Interstate 75 killing
> > several people and badly injuring the others.
>
>Blowing any tire at 75 MPH in any vehicle is a hazard.  Minivans roll at the
>same rate as SUVs under the same conditions.  I rolled my VW microbus at 65
>MPH when I was young and stupid due to a blowout.  (Must remember NOT to hit
>the brakes next time...)

RE: Accidents with SUVs.  An SUV (defined as a 4WD vehicle with a high
clearance for off-road use) does not drive the same as a sedan and very
different from say, a Camero.  The real problem is folks who buy SUVs to
use for the type of travel that other vehicles are designed for.  The
design of an SUV is flawed, it just wasn't designed to be the family
station wagon or the interstate highway cruiser.  If you drive them like a
Camero you are inviting a problem.  The reason you are safer in an
collision if you are in an SUV is because so many other people
unnecessarily drive SUVs.  If you're in the smaller vehicle you'll be on
the worst end of a collision with an SUV just as the SUV owner will be on
the worst end of an SUV/Semi collision.  If there weren't so many SUVs, the
people driving *cars* would be proportionately safer.  Of course there's
still those semis.

Saunterer