cross-posted from: https://discuss.tchncs.de/post/319198
I got a lot of push-back on a comment I made here about how bigger trucks/suvs are the primary cause the increasing pedestrian death-rate in America so apparently more people need to see this video.
Ya I have a big ass truck. I need it. It’s not my primary vehicle. I have a couple more efficient cars we use for daily stuff. But I use it for what it’s made for - hauling, business needs, and camping trips etc. But I hate how the front end is designed to make it hard to see what’s directly in front of you below the hood. I am extra cautious about keeping an eye out. But it’s dangerous.
That’s said, many newer vehicles have Pedestrian crash avoidance mitigation (PCAM). Should be required by law to be standard by now.
Pedestrian crash avoidance mitigation (PCAM) sounds great and all, but it still entirely misses one of the main points of the video about how cars have legal standards to follow regarding bumper heights, yet trucks are exempted. This has allowed truck bumper and hood heights to get out of control, which endangers the life of other drivers as bumpers only work if they line up horizontally. Trucks are literally being manufactured to keep the driver safe at the cost of everyone else on the road.
Had this convo a while ago, and afterwards I thought: why do people need these big ass trucks, when for decades we’ve had powerful enough trucks that did the same things newer giant Rams do? Like people gave been hauling work equipment, farm supplies and campers long before they got as big as they are now.
They do it better, and if you were doing it before, and have the means and opportunity to upgrade on quality of vehicle capacity, you take it.
But do they need to be so huge? Like I’d figure that after so many years and advancement in technology they could make a way more powerful engine that’s the same size as older big trucks. And now a lot of them just have gigantic cabs with even shorter truck beds which confuses me
I remember when a 6 foot bed was considered “wimpy”-- not a work truck. Now they all have them. It’s weird that trucks weight 8k pounds now. They haul more stuff, though. You used to have to modify a truck to tow more, with bigger brakes, and maybe a turbo. Campers sure are big now. ATVs are all side-by-sides now, so they’re almost as big as a car. So maybe rich people need bigger trucks for their bigger toys, but I think the chicken came before the egg.
For actual towing capacity it’s a physics problem. Do they have to be so big, for the performance they provide, yes. Can we make do with lower performance and therefore smaller trucks, sure, but good luck convincing people that’s what they should buy.
American individualism taken to its logical conclusion
I miss my dad’s pickup and wish I could find something like that again easier than a sea of big trucks