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> physically dominate the average car in an accident This is just such an American way of putting it. Sounds so much nicer than "kill everyone in the other veh

> physically dominate the average car in an accident This is just such an American way of putting it. Sounds so much nicer than "kill everyone in the other vehicle to provide a marginally higher chance for its owner" but it's basically the same thing

theodric 7y ago
At a certain point tho, if everyone else is driving a truck, you either drive a compact out of pure moral-high-ground spite or you get a truck/full-size SUV as well to even your chances of survival. I'm not saying escalation is a Good Thing™, only that it's inevitable when people are culturally obsessed with driving absurd bullshit.
- mcv 7y ago
  Or you keep driving a sensible car because you don't want to give in to the stupid and prefer to spend your money elsewhere.
- walterstucco666 7y ago
  Yeah, f*ck pedestrians or people who can't afford to waste 50k to buy a wannabe tank. What's next, people driving real tanks?
- braythwayt 7y ago
  Or you do the math and realize that with a modern, safe automobile, your chance of dying in an accident with a pickup is so small that upgrading your own vehicle to a pickup is a rounding error. To be clear, I agree that humans being humans, we do love to get into escalating arms races.
  - abawany 7y ago
    I've seen at least 3 reports in my area where a head-on collision with an impaired driver (in the truck) usually ended up killing or seriously injuring the passengers in this 'modern, safe automobile'. Some examples: * https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/drunk-driver-who-killed-three-in-2017-crash-sentenced-to-18-years/ https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/drunk-driver-who-kill... * https://www.kxan.com/traffic/two-children-killed-in-cedar-park-crash-on-w-whitestone-blvd/ https://www.kxan.com/traffic/two-children-killed-in-cedar-pa... * https://www.kxan.com/top-stories/two-from-austin-dead-after-crash-south-of-dallas-ft-worth/ https://www.kxan.com/top-stories/two-from-austin-dead-after-... * https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/married-only-minutes-texas-newlyweds-killed-in-crash/ https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/married-only-minutes-texas-n...
- VvR-Ox 7y ago
  It is an arms race and it is the right time for the industry to use the growing fear and demand for security in the global population to make some extra $$$ (just seen from a purely economical point of view of course). I agree that it is probably inevitable but there is also people who don't join the race and that is lifting my hopes.
mcv 7y ago
If they are so dangerous, shouldn't they at the very least require a stricter driver's license?
- wwright 7y ago
  Things like “danger,” “skill,” “knowledge,” and “safety” aren’t really part of license exams in the US. They’ll pretty much just give a license to anyone here, literally. It’s actually one of our bigger problems (it has big implications on safety, infrastructure, urban planning, &c.), but not many people really care. Cars are too deeply associated with “freedom” and “success” and individuality; for a lot of people I’d say they might be the biggest icon of America after the flag.
- tomschlick 7y ago
  Yeah that's not a thing here. I have driven a 26ft moving truck from a rental company with nothing more than a rental form signed. https://www.budgettruck.com/moving-trucks-accessories/truckdetails26foot https://www.budgettruck.com/moving-trucks-accessories/truckd...
vraivroo 7y ago
You can huff and puff about things you don't like being "American" but the rest of the world is following along about as fast as they can.
VvR-Ox 7y ago
I hope I did not offend you somehow by phrasing it too American but you seem to understand what I say just fine.

theodric 7y ago

At a certain point tho, if everyone else is driving a truck, you either drive a compact out of pure moral-high-ground spite or you get a truck/full-size SUV as well to even your chances of survival. I'm not saying escalation is a Good Thing™, only that it's inevitable when people are culturally obsessed with driving absurd bullshit.

mcv 7y ago
Or you keep driving a sensible car because you don't want to give in to the stupid and prefer to spend your money elsewhere.
walterstucco666 7y ago
Yeah, f*ck pedestrians or people who can't afford to waste 50k to buy a wannabe tank. What's next, people driving real tanks?
braythwayt 7y ago
Or you do the math and realize that with a modern, safe automobile, your chance of dying in an accident with a pickup is so small that upgrading your own vehicle to a pickup is a rounding error. To be clear, I agree that humans being humans, we do love to get into escalating arms races.
- abawany 7y ago
  I've seen at least 3 reports in my area where a head-on collision with an impaired driver (in the truck) usually ended up killing or seriously injuring the passengers in this 'modern, safe automobile'. Some examples: * https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/drunk-driver-who-killed-three-in-2017-crash-sentenced-to-18-years/ https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/drunk-driver-who-kill... * https://www.kxan.com/traffic/two-children-killed-in-cedar-park-crash-on-w-whitestone-blvd/ https://www.kxan.com/traffic/two-children-killed-in-cedar-pa... * https://www.kxan.com/top-stories/two-from-austin-dead-after-crash-south-of-dallas-ft-worth/ https://www.kxan.com/top-stories/two-from-austin-dead-after-... * https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/married-only-minutes-texas-newlyweds-killed-in-crash/ https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/married-only-minutes-texas-n...
VvR-Ox 7y ago
It is an arms race and it is the right time for the industry to use the growing fear and demand for security in the global population to make some extra $$$ (just seen from a purely economical point of view of course). I agree that it is probably inevitable but there is also people who don't join the race and that is lifting my hopes.

mcv 7y ago

If they are so dangerous, shouldn't they at the very least require a stricter driver's license?

wwright 7y ago
Things like “danger,” “skill,” “knowledge,” and “safety” aren’t really part of license exams in the US. They’ll pretty much just give a license to anyone here, literally. It’s actually one of our bigger problems (it has big implications on safety, infrastructure, urban planning, &c.), but not many people really care. Cars are too deeply associated with “freedom” and “success” and individuality; for a lot of people I’d say they might be the biggest icon of America after the flag.
tomschlick 7y ago
Yeah that's not a thing here. I have driven a 26ft moving truck from a rental company with nothing more than a rental form signed. https://www.budgettruck.com/moving-trucks-accessories/truckdetails26foot https://www.budgettruck.com/moving-trucks-accessories/truckd...

vraivroo 7y ago

You can huff and puff about things you don't like being "American" but the rest of the world is following along about as fast as they can.

VvR-Ox 7y ago

I hope I did not offend you somehow by phrasing it too American but you seem to understand what I say just fine.