Comment by acidburnNSA

7 years ago

Given the sledgehammer test, at least from the side that thing will be very aggressive in a crash. As in, if it runs into you, or if you run into it you will be more injured and/or dead. You generally want a little give on the road in both directions.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crash_incompatibility

Looks sweet though.

33 comments

acidburnNSA

Reply
ehnto  7 years ago

That's a pretty common reason people cite for buying big SUVs. A belief that being the bigger car in an accident makes you safer.

  • profitnot  7 years ago

    It's more than a belief... the statistics bear it out. "The lowest 2015 death rate by vehicle type is for very large SUVs: 13 deaths per million registered vehicles. The highest is for mini cars: 64 deaths per million registered vehicles." https://www.edmunds.com/car-safety/are-smaller-cars-as-safe-...

    • randomsearch  7 years ago

      That could just mean SUV drivers drive less, or a myriad of other things. PG posted on Twitter a while back a study that showed SUVs were _less_ safe (per mile driven? I think).

      8 replies →

  • acidburnNSA  7 years ago

    I think a perception of additional personal safety is definitely a reason people like SUVs.

    But you can be super safe while still helping protect your crash partners. You can often improve both your and your crash partner's safety with more crumple zones.

    I don't think the patrons of this thing are going to be thinking about this much.

  • kijin  7 years ago

    More mass = less acceleration when the same force is applied, and acceleration is what really kills you. You can't argue with physics.

    • acidburnNSA  7 years ago

      There's also strain in an inelastic collision. More strain = less acceleration = more living. Super rigid structure = less train = more acceleration = less living. No doubt the airbags and whatnot will make this very safe from the inside. I'm just worried about from the outside. But whatever. Not too worried. Plus, who knows, maybe they did design in strategic crumple zones. They never said they didn't. Just got me worried with the sledge.

      1 reply →

    • tempestn  7 years ago

      Yep, if you're going to crash, better to be in as big a vehicle as possible. There is an argument to be made that smaller, more nimble, faster braking vehicles have a better chance of avoiding the crash in the first place, but the statistics do still show SUVs are safer overall, not just on a per-crash basis.

      4 replies →

bluthru  7 years ago

I was going to make a comment about the hood not being soft enough for pedestrians hitting it, but maybe the computer would prevent such a collision.