Road Warriors

The Wall Street Journal ^ | Monday, June 2, 2003 | BROCK YATES

[presidio9]

Orange alert: American drivers are demented, speed-crazed, food-swilling, cellphone-gabbing, lane-jumping, road-raging sociopaths. Forget those Middle Eastern loonies; you face a greater threat from the guy next to you on the freeway in that Chevy Malibu. Any moment now he's likely to punch the throttle, take a bite of an unwrapped Twinkie, hit some numbers on his Nokia, toss you the bird and bunt you into the tall grass.

[mitchbert]

They say modern cars are safer. They aren't.

You are much safer in a 1964 Chevy, even without your seatbelt on, than you are in any car built today.

I'm not so sure about that, Joe. Crumple zones, impact absorbing and dispersal technology and other advances, many developed from racing technologies, have really played havoc with the size/safety equation. A case in point...

A few years ago my best friend was involved in a near head on collision at about 60mph. An oncoming driver and he were both stradling the centerline of a two lane highway and the opposing front ends made contact about one third of the way across the hood widths. He was wearing a seatbelt and the only injury he received was shoulder "burns" from the belt when it tensed. He walked away and called for help...the other car was a large Ford, and the people in it didn't fare as well (only driver wearing seat belts). Both cars were utterly totalled.

He was diving a Honda hatchback. The engine, doing as it was designed to, dove down and the front end of the car effectively disintegrated dispersing the energy of the impact. The cockpit was undamaged.

I've had friends go through the windscreen of cars while not wearing seatbelts (impact with a traffic divider on an Illinois freeway..fell asleep). Belts and airbags can save your life (but relying on the bag without the belt is really foolish). A few years my new Chev Cavalier two-door had an encounter with an unliscensed driver who ran a red light at high speed and tried to take the front end off. Tires flying (theyre supposed to in that case) and body parts (the car's) everywhere. Didn't even deploy my air bag and everyone got out and stood stunned at how much damage was done to the various cars involved (he bounced off me and hit someone else) yet not even minor injuries.

I remember cars from the 60's. Yes they were big and heavy, but mass and metal don't always return greater safety. Some, admittedlty when you're the bigger car in the accident, but not always.

All that being said, yes, if I have a choice between being in an accident in a Suburban vs a Geo Metro, I'll take the truck. But pound for pound modern cars are much safer in a collision when there is some hope of survival.

You really want safe? Buy a Mercedes 600 sedan. A german banker was blown up in one in Berlin a few years ago by a bomb placed under the back seat. Driver lived (damage confined to the rear). Also note that if Diana and Dodi had been wearing their seat belts there's a better than reasonable chance they would have survived. Injured severely, yes, but alive.

As an aside, think of the fatality rates in Formula 1 racing prior to the safety regs that came in after Senna was killed. Some of the crashes today would routinely result in terrible injuries in those older cars. Again, impact energy dispersion and controlled crumple points.

Cheers and safe driving, eh!

[GoShow]

I fear commuting on GA 400 and 285 far more than Osama or Hussein. Commuting in Atlanta you feel like 75% of all drivers are Al-Queda trying to snuff you out. Swarms of idiot drivers and zero law enforcement make your daily drive feel like an extra in a Mad Max remake.

Worst offenders:

Affirmative Action Queen Latifa types in Suv’s or Hyndai’s
Fat Soccer Moms in Suv’s and or on cell Phones.
Immigrants or Foreign types in anything.
Hommies or Wiggers driving anything.
Red Necks in trucks with # 3 or # 8 Decals.

Sadly, above represents a majority of our population so were all screwed…

[taxcontrol]

LOL

OHHH, ohhh stop - your killing me!!!
Thanks - now I have coffee all over my laptop.

Don't forget:
flash suppressors - extra long tail pipes.
pistol grips - stick shifts
Bayonet mounts - towing hitches

[RobbyS]

I am not from Montana but I enjoyed driving at high speeds (and with autobahnrated tires). I agree with you that a competent driver who is not high on something and who is driving in a good car at 120 mph on a west Texas road in broad daylight where he can see five miles ahead should NOT have to worry about "Smokey." Heck, I wish that as a requirement for a driver's license they made the prospective driver go on a race track so they they could safely learn how to handle a car at high speeds.

[taxcontrol]

As long as we are exploring dumb ideas....

We could limit the horsepower of the car to 2 times the drivers age.

Limit the amount of gasoline purchasable by age / occupation.

Require GPS devices in all new cars so that they can record the car's position and speed for the automatic generation of speeding tickets. (Wait didn't Oregan already ---- naw they would never do that)

[Sonny M]

I thought this article was going to be about Hawk and Animal and the legion of doom.

I hear they are making a comeback.

Oooooh what a rush.

[RobbyS]

A bullet-poof vest is made out of material that "crumbles." One made out of steel that gave the same protection would be too heavy to wear.

[LittleJoe]

I'm not so sure about that, Joe. Crumple zones, impact absorbing and dispersal technology and other advances, many developed from racing technologies, have really played havoc with the size/safety equation. A case in point...

I know mitch, it just doesn't seem to make sense. But, I see these accidents too often to discount. Your case in point is a good one, but I have also seen just the opposite.
My favorite would have to be the multiple vehicle pileup outside of Sacramento. A long line of unrecognizable demolished vehicles with a un damaged 1960 Plymouth, driven by an old lady, right smack in the middle.

Crumple zone technology is great...on a race car. It doesn't work as well as claimed on a heavier road vehicle.

The reason more people survive crashes today is because of modern medical response. We now have paramedics and medevac helicopters. Prior to the Viet Nam war, we had minimum wage ambulance drivers and no paramedics at all. If you were in an accident on the highway, your odds of surviving until medical help arrived were not as good as today.

Our safety experts of today ignore this. Keep your SUV, it may save your life!

[LittleJoe]

Heck, I wish that as a requirement for a driver's license they made the prospective driver go on a race track so they they could safely learn how to handle a car at high speeds.

An excellant suggestion that would do more for highway safety than all of the nonsense we hear now!!!

[mitchbert]

The reason more people survive crashes today is because of modern medical response.

Excellent point. The paramedic issue is well taken as well. Thanks.

[Conspiracy Guy]

statistic statistics statistics. Seriesly there should be a ban on driving in public buildings, especially in elevators and restrooms.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Naw, my fiancee freeper, lulabelle is too big a Mel Gibson fan. I'm 6ft 2in 195lbs so what does she see in that squirt anyway.

[Johnny Gage]

Don't forget the a rear spoiler that's about the size of a 747's tailfin too.

[nravoter]

Don't forget the dreaded "cop-killers": cars with sharp hood ornaments designed specifically to penetrate standard police-issue body armor.

[RRWCC]

you have provided valuable insight into drafting my new law! Are you sure you not a Dem. in the "closet"?

LOL

[RRWCC]

I must be slipping... I overlooked that one too!

We must not forget the deadly Chameleon. You know, the ones that look green from the front and gold from the sides...

[RRWCC]

"We must not forget the deadly Chameleon"

Not sure what the hazard is, but it just feels like it should be dangerous...

[doodad]

commuting on GA 400

Ah yes the Alpharetta Autobahn, the Dunwoody Dragstrip, the Roswell Racetrack. And the worst drivers are anyone whose last vehicle was either four legged or powered by their own legs.

[nravoter]

I failed to include hollow-point cars: VW Bugs, and any other vehicle w/ a trunk in the front.

Also, automatic transmissions; why would any civilian need a "machine car", which allows one to shift multiple gears with a single press of the accelerator?

[RRWCC]

If it wasn't so sad, I'd be laughing too!