Obviously, the CTV news people have not been following my blog closely enough. I already wrote a blog on the relative safety on small cars vs. large cars. If they had been paying attention, I would not be forced to rebuke them publicly.As part of my rebuke, I will state that CTV is less well informed than it's rival the CBC news.
The CTV news item was about a crash safety report coming from the insurance industry in the USA.
I had no problem with CTV's basic report, but right at the end of the segment, they threw in a gratuitous opinion about the lack of safety in small cars, even though this had nothing to do with the IIHS report.
I don't have the exact words, but this is the gist of the conversation.
The anchor person asked "But what about the fact that large cars are safer in crashes with small cars?"
The guest expert responded "Even with all the air bags, they have not been able to repeal the laws of physics, and a big car with the extra weight and metal will always fare better in a crash with a small car."
It seemed to me like this opinion was uncalled for especially with a new move on to reduce the size of cars on the road. The expensive "Cash for Clunkers" program has done a lot toward replacing big gas guzzlers with smaller cars.
But it is the sanctimonious statement that "you can't repeal the laws of physics" that gets me the most. If the CTV news writers (who probably drive big SUV's) really want claim the laws of physics as their authority, here is another view. The lower wider car will be less likely to roll over than a car with a high centre of gravity relative to it's narrow wheel track. And because the popularity of SUV's with a high CG and small track, we are now getting more rollover deaths than collision deaths. That is the other law of physics to consider the next time you people at CTV want to report on car safety.
The picture: for an example of how lightweight cars have been made safer, formula one racers have substantially reduced deaths in the last fifteen years, in spite of hitting walls at speeds of up to 300 kph. No they did not repeal the laws of physics. It's done with car design, and I will also mention the drivers wear helmets, and do not text their friends during races. Also notice the low centre of gravity and wide track. These are arguably the safest cars made, although I would not want to drive the kids to hockey practice in one.
I loathe those 'laws of physics will prevail' arguments from the SUV crowd.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, according to NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System numbers, 57% of fatal crashes involve only one vehicle. So, in the majority of fatal crashes, the question of who has the bigger d**k is simply irrelevant.
In a collision, the design (i.e. rather than the mass) of the vehicle is a prime consideration. We witnessed a shift from body-on-frame to unibody construction in the 1970s and 1980s, with most vehicles (except for those stupid big pickups and SUVs) now unibody. I believe we may be beginning to witness a shift from unibody to space frame construction.
Racing cars use space frame construction for obvious safety reasons, and we now see it in vehicles such as the Smart, Ferrari and Lamborghini. This technology has also been used in a number of concept cars.
Relative vehicle safety assessment cannot be based simply on how well the does at smashing into another object. A realistic assessment must take into account collision avoidance (maneuverability) - something large vehicles do not do well - as well as the impact should a collision occur.
In my humble opinion, people who drive big vehicles for 'safety reasons' are simply rationalizing their selfishness - 'The hell with everyone else on the road, I'm looking after ME first.'
When ever CTV News gets admonished, it makes for a good post. Good points across the board.
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