SUV Seriously Injures Sunbather in Fla.

AP ^ | 10/23/03 | AP

[Charles Martel]

They fell asleep on the sand
underneath the Florida moon
in June
Frankie counted rainbows,
Lola counted sheep
t'il they almost got run over
by the lifeguard's Jeep!
Frankie and Lola,
tryin' to get together again.

- J. Buffett

[sergeantdave]

News Flash!

Matchbook manufacturer burns warehouse.

A warehouse filled with bananas and pineapples burned to the ground after a match manufactured by the Diamond Match Co. ignited a pile of gasoline soaked rags in the corner of the warehouse. The match then threw itself into a pile of gasoline soaked boxes, further confounding the situation. Fire marshals suspect arson.

[Ditter]

Anytime a driver gets a new vehicle that is a different size from their previous vehicle there is a period of adjustment. If I traded my SUV in on a sports car there would be a period of adjustment. SUV's are not difficult to drive & the adjustment period is short. I think you just don't like SUVs.

[Major_Risktaker]

We use a flag.

[TomServo]

One of Jimmy's worst....

And I've been to 23 shows and own all of his releases.

[Question_Assumptions]

Anytime a driver gets a new vehicle that is a different size from their previous vehicle there is a period of adjustment. If I traded my SUV in on a sports car there would be a period of adjustment. SUV's are not difficult to drive & the adjustment period is short. I think you just don't like SUVs.

If you are a good driver, I have no problem with you owning and driving an SUV. There is a subset of SUV drivers, however, that think that (A) SUVs drive like small cars who tailgate the cars in front of them, (B) that they don't need to worry about their blind spots because they are driving a big SUV and people will get out of their way, (C) think that SUVs are magically glued to the road and drive like maniacs in the snow, and (D) drive less carefully because they feel safe in their big SUV. Good drivers adjust. Idiots don't.

I live in New Jersey. It is 100% metropolitan, covered with crowded roads, and it snows in the winter. Because we have some of the highest incomes in the country, there are a lot of SUVs on the road. Many of them are driven by responsible drivers. Some are driven by idiots. I'd rather the idiots not drive SUVs.

Why don't I care as much if an idiot drives a Cooper Mini? Because if an idiot hits me in a Cooper Mini, the idiot will probably die and I won't. If an idiot in a Lincoln Navigator hits me, they could roll right over my car and kill me. And of course not all SUVs are the same. Some are station wagons. Others are trucks. It is the trucks that I care about.

If you want to say that I should be calling for better driver training and testing and not bother distinguishing between SUVs and cars, you'd be right. Bad drivers are a problem. But people are focussing on SUVs because a dangerous driver in an SUV is more dangerous to others than a bad driver in a car.

[Ditter]

>>>>>>there is a subset of SUV drivers>>>>>> In case you haven't noticed, there is a subset of drivers of all types of vehicles that are dangerous, from minis to 18 wheelers. I hate nothing worse than a little zippy car that cuts in & out of traffic causing wrecks. I see them every day & in much greater numbers than I see bad SUV drivers. I live in Houston where there are many more SUVs than in NJ & I don't see many bad ones at all. I have driven an SUV since the early 70's & I have yet to roll one or even have a wreck. I think you have fallen victim to the anti SUV propaganda.

[gitmo]

A lot of SUV drivers seem to think they are in a Cooper Mini by the way they drive.

A lot of people driving miniature verhicles apparently think they are in SUVs by the way they drive. Same thing for bicyclers only more so.

[gitmo]

[PAR35]

I live in Houston where there are many more SUVs than in NJ & I don't see many bad ones at all.

Try heading up I-45 through Conroe. Terrible drivers in big SUVs and oversized pickups will quickly find you. I will agree one of the worst drivers I ever saw was on 610 in a small car accented with neon lights.

[DefCon]

I question your assumption.
- - -
You said:
"...The driver backed over the woman because she couldn't see her..."
- - -
The article says:
"...The driver...apparently didn't see Willits..."
- - -
You don't know if she even bothered to look
behind her before she started backing up.

[Ditter]

I don't drive on 45 N very often but I have been going to Tomball one afternoon a week. 290 to the beltway is not so bad. Beltway 8 to 249 is worse & 249 is horrible. I don't see so many SUV but work trucks of every description & cars. One reason Suburbans have become so popular is getting kids to school. Kids must all be in the back & seatbelted. When my kids were young there were carpools among mothers. You piled your car full, front seat & back. You can't do that anymore.

[Libertina]

Bad car, BAD!

[Vinnie]

Don't you just hate it when those SUV's start running on the beach. You never know who they will step on.

It's not the SUV's fault. They are as gentle and loving as any other vehicle.
It's the owners that make them unpredictable.

I introduced mine to people when it was very new, had it around other vehicles often and I know for a fact that when I park it and remove the key it has never left the driveway.
I would trust it without reservation with my kids.

[Question_Assumptions]

You don't know if she even bothered to look behind her before she started backing up.

Agreed. I'm making the unsupported assumption that something about the SUV made it worth identifying as such. Of course the SUV advocates could be correct and this could be just another SUV hit piece. But visibility is one of the biggest problems I personally notice with SUV drivers. They seem to have a lot of large blind spots compared to most cars. So do minivans.

[Question_Assumptions]

My opinion is based on my experience driving on the roads. Again if a little zippy car hits me, I probably won't get hurt. If a Lincoln Navigator, Suburban, or Tahoe hits me, I could wind up getting rolled over. I know it is convenient to blame all anti-SUV sentiments to environmental concerns and jealousy but a lot of people are annoyed by SUVs because of how they are observed being driven. Note that I used to notice a lot of bad drivers in Honda Accords and Toyota Camrys. They used to be the trendy cars to own before SUVs. So I'll agree that it isn't the SUV but the driver thats the real problem.

By the way, do you have stats that there are many more SUVs in Houston than in New Jersey? I'm sure you have fewer BMW, Lexus, Honda, and Mercedes SUVs but they are selling well all over the country. And, yes, I realize that this is due (along with minivan sales) to EPA regulations that keep normal cars smaller than what many people really want.

[Ditter]

Why would you assume Houston has fewer BMW Lexus & Mercedes SUVs than NJ?

[Question_Assumptions]

I assume there would be more BMW, Lexus, and Mercedes SUVs in New Jersey for two reasons. First (and this is the reason I believe I included Honda in the list) is that imports, in general, are more popular on the coasts than in middle America. Second, auto prices do not vary significantly by region but incomes do. Incomes in New Jersey are among the highest in the nation. I could be wrong. I did some searches on SUV sales by region because I am curious what the facts are, as opposed to anecdote-based perception. I couldn't find anything after spending about a half-hour looking and gave up.

[Ditter]

Your assumptions show you have never been to Houston. I, on the other hand, have been to NJ.

[Question_Assumptions]

Your assumptions show you have never been to Houston. I, on the other hand, have been to NJ.

Fair enough. The only time I've been to Houston involved seeing the airport. When was the last time you were in New Jersey and where in the state? But unless either of us can come up with some actual numbers (and I have looked), we are dealing with anecdotal evidence. Also note that we are comparing a city with a state (or part of a state). My assumptions about imports are based on data that I have seen concerning the percentage of imports sold but may not be valid for more urban Houston. As for income, a cost of living web site tells me that Houston offers salaries 8%-10% lower than the northern part of New Jersey and that the cost of living is 20% lower. It seems possible that the cost of living differential makes it easier to afford an SUV in Houston, even if someone's salary is lower. So I'll take your word for it.