Technology saving lives in SUV's

[crinkles]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Proves that a nanny type oversight is necessary because the bulk of the population is too dumb to respect physics. Sad.



sometimes folks make mistakes. even the best of us!

 

[Colt]

http://www.iihs.org/externaldata/srdata/docs/sr4605.pdf

Top 10 Highest Rates of Driver Death
1. Nissan 350Z
2. Nissan Titan crew cab
3. Chevrolet Aveo
4. Chevrolet Cobalt
5. Nissan Titan extended cab
6. Kia Spectra
7. Chevrolet Malibu Classic
8. Hyundai Tiburon
9. Nissan Versa
10. Chevrolet Colorado extended cab

Top 10 Lowest Rates of Driver Death
1. Audi A6
2. Mercedes E-Class
3. Toyota Sienna
4. Ford Edge
5. Nissan Armada
6. Land Rover Range Rover Sport
7. Land Rover LR3
8. Honda CR-V
9. Jeep Grand Cherokee
10. Acura MDX

 

[rjundi]

Beyond stability control.

I attribute this to the movement towards unibody SUV's/modern considerations. It has made little sense have body on frame construction for a vehicle that spends 99% time on road.

 

[rslifkin]

Honestly, after having run my Jeep on a track once, and generally driving it a bit hard at times, I can say this: if you need stability control to not flip an SUV, you don't deserve a driver's license. It takes A LOT to flip pretty much any vehicle, and most SUVs will still run out of traction and start to squeal the tires before they flip.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: rslifkin
Honestly, after having run my Jeep on a track once, and generally driving it a bit hard at times, I can say this: if you need stability control to not flip an SUV, you don't deserve a driver's license. It takes A LOT to flip pretty much any vehicle, and most SUVs will still run out of traction and start to squeal the tires before they flip.

I think your missing the point. Most SUV's and cars don't flip on the road surface, they flip when they slide off the road surface sideways. Stability control helps keep the car or SUV pointed in its direction of travel and that reduces the chance of rollover even if they are heading into the ditch.
I think I would have to try very hard to flip my Tracker on pavement as its designed that way, but if I was going to be sliding sideways off the road, I'd rather have my butt 10" off the ground in my Neon.

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: rjundi
Beyond stability control.

I attribute this to the movement towards unibody SUV's/modern considerations. It has made little sense have body on frame construction for a vehicle that spends 99% time on road.


Actually some of the very best OFFROAD SUVs ever built are unibody and have been since 1984. The Cherokee started out as a unibody, the original Grand Cherokee was an enlarged version and also a unibody. And (at least up through the WJ) they were superb offroaders. Very light, very rigid. Its really tough to find anything short of a Wrangler or old Land Cruiser that can keep up with an XJ Cherokee offroad.

Unfortunately the Grand Cherokees after the WJ, no matter how capable, are so expensive that it will be a while before many people get serious about offroading with them.

 

[ARB1977]

Sounds like larger suv's haven't been selling too well. This is one way to get people to buy suv's in time for gas prices to go back up.

 

[rjundi]

Originally Posted By: rslifkin
Honestly, after having run my Jeep on a track once, and generally driving it a bit hard at times, I can say this: if you need stability control to not flip an SUV, you don't deserve a driver's license. It takes A LOT to flip pretty much any vehicle, and most SUVs will still run out of traction and start to squeal the tires before they flip.


Hit some ice put the SUV sideways, catch pavement/traction again and see how easily it flips over. Try the same with a car and it does not happen. Black ice is fairly common.

 

[rslifkin]

^ Yes, but a good driver would avoid getting sideways in the first place, and correct for it if it happens. Most of the accidents I see in the winter are due to stupidity (car starts sliding, driver either does nothing or hits the brakes).

This winter, I watched a guy 180* an Escort into the ditch right in front of me. He hit his brakes lightly down a hill, rear end started to slide. He let off the brakes, but didn't take any other corrective action, and spun around and slid sideways into the ditch. If he had tried to correct for it, he would have been fine. He described his reaction as "you know, when you start sliding, and you just sit there waiting for it to grab". A good driver would make it grab.

Things like that are why I'm a firm believer in at least once every winter, taking your primary winter vehicle out to a smooth, empty parking lot in the snow and playing around a bit, to keep yourself in tune with how it feels in a slide, how it corrects, etc. I've had sudden 90* snaps occur on an ice patch in the winter before, and recovered them just fine without coming close to flipping, as I had already started correcting before the Jeep started to catch traction.

 

[DrDusty86]

I JUST WAS HIT LAST WEEK. It was by a woman driving an suv... How the situation has been handled by everyone else.... YES I DO have a lawyer and am taking the driver- suspended license, Company(owner of truck), and the INS Co. to court and will get ALL I can from each and every one of them. I hope the lady that hit me gets put out on the street after this..