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This guy ties grill height directly to fatalities. They really are a menace, but it's by design. Quoth one designer, "I want it to look like a fist coming throu

• ryandrake 2y ago
  I'm reminded of an article[1] a while back about trucks getting bigger where a commenter pointed out they are also getting "meaner" looking. I'd argue that maybe aggressive, belligerent, menacing truck styling is popular because [some] Americans themselves are getting more aggressive, belligerent and menacing. Vehicles have traditionally been used by people as personality extensions, so this "My truck should be like a big fist" attitude shouldn't be surprising. 1: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32425028 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32425028
  • xyst 2y ago
    Look at the “Market researching” section: > “SUV buyers want to be able to take on street gangs with their vehicles and run them down” This was in 2002 … https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ebd0080238e863d04911b51/t/6065dbeb73734b58372d797b/1617288180453 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ebd0080238e863d04911...
    • ryandrake 2y ago
      Fascinating. An interesting part of that document: > The point of these explicit associations with violence was not to reflect a growing brutalisation of society, but to identify people the market researchers describe as “especially self-centred”. Which would contradict my guess: They're actually going after self-centered buyers, not necessarily angry, belligerent ones.