Aggresive SUV drivers: Tally up four more dead kids

[Super Amputee Cat]

Maine's deadliest highway "accident" since 1958. Seven dead including 4 kids.


http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/lateststories/index.ssf?/base/national-23/1084201746263460.xml

 

[Budgie]

Please ---- Do Not Get Me Started !!!!!!

Read Chapter 6 of "The Elephant in the Bedroom" by Hart and Spivak.

 

[SGB]

I used to travel the Adirondack Northway (I-87) pretty regularly during the winter months.

From my experience, I would find over 50% of the SUV's and other 4WD vehicles that had passed me while driving aggressively in inclimate (read: dangerous) road conditions would be found a few miles up the road in an accident of some form.

"Common sense driving skills" has become an oxymoron. :-\

 

[mgk920]

Please ---- Do Not Get Me Started !!!!!!

Read Chapter 6 of "The Elephant in the Bedroom" by Hart and Spivak.

I'll try not to, either.

Some will say that this is simply a 'speed' related crash, BUT, people drive fast all the time _in perfect safety_. As long as one drives sanely, passes left/drives right and doesn't 'overdrive' the vehicle, weather, road and their own abilities and barring no unexpected mechanical or medical failures, there will be no problems with simply driving fast. This crash was sheer BONEHEADEDNESS, plain and simple.

Unfortunately, more bonehead drivers are born everyday to replace the ones that cull themselves from the herd and more vehicles are made to match them, such that they often end up taking way too many non-boneheads with them. :-@

That tired old cliché, 'Speed kills', is simply wrong -- it should be 'Boneheadedness Kills'.

Mike

 

[Duke Of Dystopia]

typical day driving in Chicago by the sound of it. to bad the kids had to die though. Unfortunatly, the stupid chick driving can't pay enough for having to get there faster.

 

[Zoning Goddess]

Doesn't an Explorer only seat 5? Makes me think that maybe nobody was in seat belts in this one. Another boneheaded thing people do, and their kids pay the price.

 

[ludes98]

Doesn't an Explorer only seat 5? Makes me think that maybe nobody was in seat belts in this one. Another boneheaded thing people do, and their kids pay the price.

I think it might have third row seating as an option now. Who passes in the breakdown lane with that many people, especially kids, in the car? Moron. (Sorry Morons.) |-)

 

[Seabishop]

The driver didn't have a licence since 1998 and was doing 90 mph in the breakdown lane. The kids didn't have car seats either. She and her friend were excited to meet a man they met on the internet.

 

[Tranplanner]

Sounds to me it wouldn't have mattered what type of vehicle was being driven - the driver was just an idiot.

 

[Super Amputee Cat]

Sounds to me it wouldn't have mattered what type of vehicle was being driven - the driver was just an idiot.

Thank God no one else in the other car were hurt. In 90% of cases, it's the car (and passengers) that the SUV hits that gets the brunt of the damage while the SUV driver and occupants sustain minimal injury.

But even 4000 pounds of metal couldn't protect morons like this.

The driver didn't have a licence since 1998 and was doing 90 mph in the breakdown lane. The kids didn't have car seats either. She and her friend were excited to meet a man they met on the internet..

Oh, why am I not surprised in the least. How lowbrow. Maybe their brains are mush from watching Survivor the night before.

 

[SlaveToTheGrind]

Sounds to me it wouldn't have mattered what type of vehicle was being driven - the driver was just an idiot.

Amen. Sick and tired of the SUV bashing. SUV's don't kill people. People kill people.

 

[SkeLeton]

I won't bash against SUVs, but this clearly shows that they give a wrong sense of security.... Thank god morons erase themselves from the gene pool frequently.

 

[Tranplanner]

Thank god morons erase themselves from the gene pool frequently.

Yeah, except for the fact that in this case the moron also "erased" four kids who had no say in the matter.

 

[Floridays]

Bumper Mentality

Have you ever wondered why sport utility vehicle drivers seem like such a**-holes? ... Well, according to New York Times reporter Keith Bradsher's new book, High and Mighty, the connection between the two isn't a coincidence. Unlike any other vehicle before it, the SUV is the car of choice for the nation's most self-centered people; and the bigger the SUV, the more of a jerk its driver is likely to be. :-o

Read on:
High & Mighty: SUVs

 

[michaelskis]

It is not the SUV...

An SUV accident... stupid SUVs... it should have known better than to be doing 90...

Have you ever noticed how things like this sound like they are blamed on the SUV and not the driver. It bothers me. BUT OH NO... if they where in Ford Taurus Station Wagon they would have all lived.

Stupid people to stupid things no matter what they drive. I feel bad for the kids and the other two passengers. They where the victims here.

It is like that T shirt... “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people” “SUVs don’t kill people, bad drivers and stupid people kill people!”

 

[Super Amputee Cat]

An SUV accident... stupid SUVs... it should have known better than to be doing 90...

Have you ever noticed how things like this sound like they are blamed on the SUV and not the driver. It bothers me. BUT OH NO... if they where in Ford Taurus Station Wagon they would have all lived.

Stupid people to stupid things no matter what they drive. I feel bad for the kids and the other two passengers. They where the victims here.

It is like that T shirt... “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people” “SUVs don’t kill people, bad drivers and stupid people kill people!”

Yes, but if you are hit broadside or head-on by an SUV you are much more likely to be killed or seriously injured than the same circumstances with another passenger car. This is due to the sheer weight of the SUV and something called "Bumper Height Differential".

Sure it's true "people kill people", but lets compare it to guns. Comparing getting hit by a Ford Taurus to a Ford Excursion is like comparing getting shot with a .22 vs a Magnum 45.

And I'll say it again and again. SUVs do promote aggresive driving and, as pointed out, generally appeal to some of the most self-centered drivers on the face of the earth. Had these people been in a Taurus or even a minivan, there's no way they'd be doing 90 in the breakdown lane.

 

[JNL]

It is like that T shirt... “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people” “SUVs don’t kill people, bad drivers and stupid people kill people!”

We just had an incident here where an SUV driver crashed, killing them and their kid. They were not wearing seatbelts and their vehicle burst into flames after leaving the road. Just minutes earlier they had been seen passing people at 160km/hr (100 mile/h) and police are waiting for results to confirm alcohol was a factor. This is a clear illustration of a stupid driver. Yes it involved an SUV, but this driver was an accident waiting to happen, no matter what vehicle. (Hmm... anyone else think the term 'accident' is incongruous here?)

Floridays - interesting theory. So 'accidents' are caused by stupid people, but more stupid people/aggressive drivers buy SUVs.

 

[giff57]

and don't forget all SUVs are not that big....

Would you rather get hit by:

This

Or this

 

[Zoning Goddess]

I drive a fairly small SUV (a Honda CR-V) and I am not the least bit aggressive behind the wheel. Down here, the aggressive drivers are in humongous double-cab pickups, or in any purple or yellow vehicle (usually driven by teenagers).

 

[michaelskis]

Yes, but if you are hit broadside or head-on by an SUV you are much more likely to be killed or seriously injured than the same circumstances with another passenger car. This is due to the sheer weight of the SUV and something called "Bumper Height Differential".

You do make a valad point. But I also wonder about lager trucks, buses and Simi trucks. They all tend to have high bumpers.

SUVs are not new. GM has had the suburbian for a while. I also think that I rather get hit by something like a Trail Blazer or an Explorer than a 68' caddy.

.22 or a 45, it is still a gun, and it will still mess you up. Smaller size does not always make it less deadly.

 

[Seabishop]

... Had these people been in a Taurus or even a minivan, there's no way they'd be doing 90 in the breakdown lane.

There are accidents on the news just about everyday with people driving all sorts of cars stupidly. Drunks for example don't just drive GMC Yukons. I would think people with smaller sports cars would be more apt to speed in the breakdown lane thinking they could fit.

Maybe SUV drivers are just in a constant rage because they're paying so much for gas. ;-)

 

[Dan]

and don't forget all SUVs are not that big....

Would you rather get hit by:

This (Suzuki mini-SUV)

Or this (Caddy lowrider)

I'll take the big 'ol Cadillac. It's probably going far below the speed limit -- cruising, you know -- and it'll earn me far more street cred then getting hit by a "chick car."

Keepin' it real, yo. Peace out.

 

[Jen]

This sad story happened here a few months ago, how many stereotypes can you spot in this story?

Twentysomething blonde nanny driving her employers Hummer talking on her cell phone runs a red light and broadsides a full size SUV. Kills the boy in the passenger seat, but his mom is fine, the nanny and her young charge are uninjured. She's facing charges of negligent homicide and has several speeding tickets on her record already.

 

[Super Amputee Cat]

You do make a valad point. But I also wonder about lager trucks, buses and Simi trucks. They all tend to have high bumpers.

SUVs are not new. GM has had the suburbian for a while. I also think that I rather get hit by something like a Trail Blazer or an Explorer than a 68' caddy.

The Suburban has been around for over 50 years. But until the past 15 years or so, there were very few SUVs on the road in relation to the total number of registered vehicles. They were not aggesively marketed until the 1990s and its even worse now. As a result, everywhere you go, from Atlanta to Aspen, the countryside is infested with them.

They are becoming offensive by their sheer numbers alone.

This sad story happened here a few months ago, how many stereotypes can you spot in this story?

Twentysomething blonde nanny driving her employers Hummer talking on her cell phone runs a red light and broadsides a full size SUV. Kills the boy in the passenger seat, but his mom is fine, the nanny and her young charge are uninjured. She's facing charges of negligent homicide and has several speeding tickets on her record already.

SUV, cell phone....and blonde?

That indeed is a deadly concotion! :-\

 

[Floridays]

What about the impact on gas prices?
An article in today's Detroit Free Press quotes:

Like it or not, we're burning more gas than ever. Consumption has jumped nearly 24 percent since 1990. And the government says we're on track to burn another 48 percent by 2025.

Sure, there are more vehicles on the road. Between 1990 and 2001, the number of registered vehicles grew about 22 percent, according to the federal government. And the miles those vehicles traveled jumped 29 percent.

But the biggest reason consumption has risen so sharply -- after growing at a much slower pace in preceding years -- is parked in many of our driveways: The number of light trucks, especially SUVs, has spiked in the past several years, growing about 74 percent between 1990 and 2001. And since these vehicles consume more gas than passenger cars, they're likely responsible for the record level of fuel use, experts say.

 

[BKM]

What about the impact on gas prices?
An article in today's Detroit Free Press quotes:

Like it or not, we're burning more gas than ever. Consumption has jumped nearly 24 percent since 1990. And the government says we're on track to burn another 48 percent by 2025.

Sure, there are more vehicles on the road. Between 1990 and 2001, the number of registered vehicles grew about 22 percent, according to the federal government. And the miles those vehicles traveled jumped 29 percent.

But the biggest reason consumption has risen so sharply -- after growing at a much slower pace in preceding years -- is parked in many of our driveways: The number of light trucks, especially SUVs, has spiked in the past several years, growing about 74 percent between 1990 and 2001. And since these vehicles consume more gas than passenger cars, they're likely responsible for the record level of fuel use, experts say.

I confess an ignorance of statistical analysis, but if the number of vehicles has gone up by 22%, and the number of miles by 29%, is it easily possile to blame SUVs for 24% rise in gasoline consumption? (Math is not my high point, so this may be a dumb question)

 

[JNL]

Twentysomething blonde nanny driving

SUV, cell phone....and blonde? That indeed is a deadly concotion! :-\

Oi! What's this blonde discrimination about then eh?

 

[ludes98]

There are accidents on the news just about everyday with people driving all sorts of cars stupidly. [snip] I would think people with smaller sports cars would be more apt to speed in the breakdown lane thinking they could fit.

You can fit! I was that big of an idot when I was young and foolish. I still drive true sports cars beyond "reasonable and prudent" speeds, but I can't imagine driving my truck or an SUV (I don't own one, but have driven many as rentals) like that. SUV's definitely have an unfair physical advantage, but the people who drive them like sports cars are a problem.

Recently a drunk off duty officer decided to try the "between two motorcylces" trick and of course clipped one. Rider lost his leg. Too bad the rider was an off duty motorcyle cop. 8-! He was driving a Mustang.

 

[Super Amputee Cat]

Here's an update on the story. I gotta admit. The ehtnic/economic profile of the occupants is nothing like I thought they would be.

 

[BKM]

Interesting Quote from the Early 20th Century

"Consider the man on horseback, and I have been a man on horseback for most of my life. Well, mostly he is a good man, but there is a change in him as soon as he mounts. Every man on horseback is an arrogant man, however gentle he may be on foot. The man in the automobile is one thousand times as dangerous. I tell you, it will engender absolute selfishness in mankind if the driving of automobiles becomes common. It will breed violence on a scale never seen before. It will mark the end of the family as we know it, the three or four generations living happily in one home. It will destroy the sense of neighborhood and the true sense of Nation. It will create giantized cankers of cities, false opulence of suburbs, ruinized countryside, and unhealthy conglomerations of specialized farming and manufacturing. It will make every man a tyrant." ~R.A. Lafferty

 

[mendelman]

"Consider the man on horseback, and I have been a man on horseback for most of my life. Well, mostly he is a good man, (snip)...(snip) It will make every man a tyrant." ~R.A. Lafferty

This that really a true quote??

If so, it's pretty dead-on, especially the last half of the paragraph. :-\

 

[boilerplater]

Oi! What's this blonde discrimination about then eh?

So you mean blondes have eveded this stereotype in Neverland? Maybe it has something to do with magnetic fields in the southern hemisphere.

So that Lafferty guy has turned out to be a real prohet, huh?
Didn't LeCorbusier say something about the car-based society would mean employement for all, because we'd be producing so much waste, and they would always be breaking down and needing repair or replacement?

 

[BKM]

This that really a true quote??

If so, it's pretty dead-on, especially the last half of the paragraph. :-\

Well, it's a secondhand quote. I thought it was pretty eloquent. Lafferty was (d. 2002) a humorous sci fi writer, so I'm not sure where the context comes from.

In my correspondence with the source of the quote (who wrote a blog entry on driver arrogance) is that he was prefectly right-on, because I know how my attitudes change when I am behind the wheel of a car. I get a little nasty, and I am usually pretty calm (if verbose).

 

[Plannerbabs]

There does seem to be something about larger vehicles--and I'm lumping trucks and enormous sedans in here with SUV's. Perhaps it's the sheer size, as a reflection of ego. With SUV's you get the added benefit of ground clearance and 4WD. Interestingly, Subes and Audis have AWD, and you rarely meet a raging Sube or Audi driver (probably because most of the Sube drivers are too mellow ;-) and Audis are so expensive they don't want to scratch them....not to perpetuate stereotypes or anything!). To go along with the previous post about the Hummer, my husband and I drove past a very upscale steak house the other night. The restaurant has 4' and 5' tall berms surrounding its parking lot, which was fairly, but not completely, full that night. An H2 was parked--actually backed onto the berm, perched at the very top. We got a good laugh out of that, imagining the guy backing up almost vertically onto the berm while his date clutched the door handle, but it does kinda illustrate what can be done w/4WD--and not a good demonstration, either. At least there were't any arbor vitae for him to flatten. :-\