Mini v. sedan = injury. No duh. Is this news?

[Yaris Hilton]

Now foxnews.com has put this as their lead story and top video link.

[nsmitchell]

Originally Posted by Yaris Hilton

Now foxnews.com has put this as their lead story and top video link.

/sarchasm/ Not Fox News! /endsarchasm/

[SailDesign]

Time to mandate a Momentum Limit on the roads. Let's see, a Yaris at (say) 2500 lbs nominal, at 55 mph, gives a momentum of 137,500 lb.mph. Assume a Camry at 3500 lbs, then his max in a 55 zone would be 137,500 / 3500 = 39 mph.
An old Cadillac at around 5000 lbs would be limited to 27.5 mph, etc.
A semi, say consevatively 30 tons (60,000 lbs) would be limited to 2 or 3 mph.
Time to give the semis their own road system, abnd make life safer for all of us.

[Yaris Hilton]

Originally Posted by SailDesign

Time to give the semis their own road system, and make life safer for all of us.

I agree. But I really don't want to pay the taxes that would require.

[nemelek]

23 years ago I was involved in a head on accident. I was driving a 73 camaro doing 45mph. A teenager driving a 69 valant crossed the center line at 70 mph. He died. I broke my left hand. Rather it was blind luck or the grace of god that I am alive today I don't know. When your time is up it's up. Live today to it's fullest.

[Kaotic Lazagna]

hmmm, I guess we all should buy Mack semi trucks now...

But yeah, people need to learn how to drive better and safer, as was mentioned earlier.

[slothman86]

And how many people have really gotten hurt on this site while driving their Yaris? ?

[BailOut]

Originally Posted by slothman86

And how many people have really gotten hurt on this site while driving their Yaris? ?

I am curious about this as well. Between all the members on this site, past and present, and the real-world Yaris owners that I know, none of us has been significantly hurt in a collision, let alone dying from it.

In fact, the only helicopter ride I can recall wasn't even a collision but came from a teenage member that fully admitted he was driving like an ass and rolled his LB a few times on a deserted stretch of road.

[SailDesign]

Originally Posted by slothman86

And how many people have really gotten hurt on this site while driving their Yaris? ?

I dunno - my side is still stiff in the morning after my crunch a couple of weeks ago.
OTOH, I have been getting used to the new 09 seats for the last week, and that could be helping.....

[Kal-El]

If they want me in a mid-size or bigger car, then they better build me one that get's at least 40 mpg and costs under $16K. Yeah, that will happen!

Point is, there's a reason we want or have to buy small cars - cheap and efficient are two of the main reasons!

[mr. poopyhead]

this is the stupidest crap ever...

you could do the same experiment and replace the "minicars" vs. sedans with sedans vs. SUVs... you'd get the same results and then have a "scientific" evidence that people should ditch their sedans and all move to SUVs... which will just accelerate the arms race that has been going on for years now... people moving into bigger cars and trucks to save themselves from the other people driving big cars and trucks... it's ridiculous...

take a look at the cars from the 80s... they were like the "minicars" we have now... the current corolla is bigger than an 80s camry... and have you seen the new ford F150? it's twice the size as an F-150 from 20 years ago... are traffic fatalities any lower now than then? (that's an honest question... i have no stats on it)

god bless america... the land of the fearful...

[wooverstone8]

http://online.wsj.com/video/toyota-y...88B4C74AA.html

[Lambpasty]

Wait so you mean to tell me that If I drive my Yaris into a head-on collision with a ford F-350 that there's an increased chance I'll be hurt?! So that means that if I get into a head-on driving an F-350 into a dump truck I might get hurt too?! I guess everyone should just start driving school buses and dump trucks around everywhere.

So is this really about the Yarii and economy cars being (obviously) on the losing side of a head-on or is it a way to persuade people into buying huge SUVs they don't need so they can be "safe" (and boost sales)...

[Yaris Hilton]

Originally Posted by mr. poopyhead

the current corolla is bigger than an 80s camry...

The current Yaris sedan is bigger than an 80s Camry, and weighs the same. Toyota's been playing in the upsizing game, too.

[jambo101]

This is a plot by the oil companies to get us all back into gas guzzling SUV's

[IllusionX]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju6t-yyoU8s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_86RuYXoJA

[Thirty-Nine]

So for "Crash Test Tuesday," I posted up a video and question on my blog: Which is safer—Older large cars or newer small cars?

http://tinyurl.com/Which-Is-Safer

[Dave]

Same article was published in today's Toronto Star, and I was going to post about it here as well.

Seems this article doesn't mention the point in the Star that got me so riled up this afternoon:

"There are good reasons people buy mini cars. They're more affordable, and they use less gas. But the safety trade-offs are clear from our new tests," said Adrian Lund, the institute's president.

Automakers who manufacture the small cars said the tests simulated a high-speed crash that rarely happens on the road. They also said the tests rehashed past insurance industry arguments against tougher fuel efficiency requirements. The institute has raised questions about whether stricter gas mileage rules, which are being developed by the government, might lead to smaller, lighter vehicles that could be less safe.

http://www.wheels.ca/reviews/article/533297

In my humble opinion, this is absolute bullshit and nothing more than an attempt at using fear mongering to push people into larger and less efficient vehicles. The biases of the group who released this study is as clear as day. Leave it to insurance and oil companies to sensationalize 300 year old physics laws. This study could only mean less if it was published directly by the oil tycoon from The Simpsons.