Be glad you didn't buy an SUV

[Tempus]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=..._dc_2&printer=1

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of U.S. traffic deaths rose nearly 1 percent in 2003 and reached a 13-year high at 43,220, the government reported on Wednesday.

It was the fifth straight year road deaths rose, although passenger car fatalities decreased. Sport utility vehicle deaths went up roughly 10 percent over 2002, with more than half of the victims in those crashes killed in rollovers. Motorcycle deaths also jumped.

[aarons12]

SUV's not having to conform to car safety standards is part of it, for sure.

but people also have to stop driving like idiots, (not generalizing, i would imagine that prius people in general are a pretty conservative lot). they have to stop talking on cel phones all the time. they have to stop for lights and signs. they have to stop having 4 cars try to make a left in front of traffic when only 2 can really make it safely. they have to stop thinking it's still safe to drive through the intersection after the light has been red for 5 seconds...

rant rant rant

[tag]

but people also have to stop driving like idiots.....

Yep! Including:

Forty percent of all fatalities, or 17,401 deaths, were alcohol-related....

[paulisme]

Yep! Including:

Forty percent of all fatalities, or 17,401 deaths, were alcohol-related....

I bet Astronaut Jones would be a good spokesman against drinking and driving

[Tempus]

Given the fact that the number of SUVs relative to cars is increasing, it makes sense that the percentage of accidents involving SUVs would increase.

What doesn't make sense is that this translates into an overall increase in fatalities.

There are lots of ways to parse statistics and on further reading, the 'increase' actually isn't an increase.

"Despite the increase in the annual death count, the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled remained constant at 1.5 deaths because more people were on the road."

And yes, lack of common sense can be fatal, clearly.

"More than half of those killed in passenger vehicles were not wearing safety belts."

"Forty percent of all fatalities were alcohol-related."

(Of course there is overlap between those two stats, probably a significant overlap).

The only real bit of data there about SUV safety is:

"More than half of the victims in those (SUV) crashes were killed in rollovers."

The real point is that SUVs need to be made less likely to roll over, and safer (stronger roofs) when they do.

What I'd like to see is stats about fatality in vehichles by type. IE, are you More or Less likely to be killed in a certain type of vehicle, assuming that you are wearing your seatbelt and aren't drunk, hehe.

[tag]

I bet Astronaut Jones would be a good spokesman against drinking and driving

Absolutely! That's because, although he drinks, he doesn't drive..........he takes rockets.

[Danny]

Motorcycle deaths also jumped.

Speaking of which I got stuck in a traffic jam last night on the interstate when a motorcycle tried cutting off a truck to get to an exit. The motorcycle wrecked, the truck ran the motorcycle over, and then the motorcycle exploded.

Not exactly the way I want to die.

[paulisme]

Should we assume that killed the motorcyclist, or was the rider thrown before the truck ran over the motorcycle?

[randalla]

New government standards in bumper heights for SUVs have to be implemented industry wide so that when you're driving your Prius down the road and look in your rear view mirror you should see the top half of the Ford Excursion bumper tailgating you not the bottom half. :cussing:

[Danny]

Should we assume that killed the motorcyclist, or was the rider thrown before the truck ran over the motorcycle?

I'm not 100% sure - the only details I knew were from the firemen still standing around looking at the wreckage as I crawled along the interstate. I asked them what happened and they had time to relay that much to me.

I can't find a story on it today in The State.