The Physics Behind Car Crashes 732
Guinnessy writes "Physics Today has an article on Vehicle Design and the Physics of Traffic Safety. The article analyzes in detail typical crashes experienced between cars, and cars with SUVs'. According to Marc Ross, Deena Patel, and Tom Wenzel, "The evidence is compelling that body-on-frame light trucks cannot safely coexist with passenger cars under existing conditions. That problem is critical because so many light trucks are used nowadays as car substitutes." They suggest some ways in which both cars and SUVs' can be redesigned to improve safety. Meanwhile Detriot News reports on a Pediatrics journal study says that claims that children are no safer in SUVs than cars because of the rollover risks."
I reckon.. (Score:5, Funny)
Builders wagon (Score:2, Funny)
funny how driving a builders wagon became fashionable, perhaps milk floats are next, or even a dustcart !, we can only live in hope
Well, that settles it then... (Score:5, Funny)
Well, that settles it then. It's obvious we need to outlaw passenger cars. Not only will that remove millions of unsafe cars from the road, it will give a much needed economic boost to the SUV manufacturers.
Besides, if a car is unsafe around a light body truck, it must be a death trap around a standard truck or a semi-tractor trailer rig...
Re:weight& speed are the big issue here (Score:1, Funny)
Re:get some priorities! (Score:4, Funny)
Canyonero! (Score:3, Funny)
12 yards long, 2 lanes wide,
65 tons of American Pride!
Canyonero! Canyonero!
Top of the line in utility sports,
Unexplained fires are a matter for the courts!
Canyonero! Canyonero! (Yah!)
(Entire lyrics here [saiyine.com])
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Re:Chinese SUV (Score:5, Funny)
Volvo Engineer: But your SUV is so dangerous - it has no crumple zones.
Chinese Car Salesman: Silly Swede. You Volvo my crumple zone.
This Is Genius! (Score:3, Funny)
Wow! That's great! Now instead of plebs getting messily caught in my undercarraige, they'll just hit the bonnet and windshield and bounce right off! I can just turn on the sprinklers and wash the blood right off while I sip on my latte! This is genius!
The only downside I can think of is that they may be inconsiderately be wearing metallic objects that might scratch my paintjob. That's a serious issue with this system. Perhaps it would be better if they were bumped to the side instead, preferably to the sidewalk, as that way they wouldn't fly into any oncoming drivers, thus exacerabting the problem.
Moonbuggy.... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Well, that settles it then... (Score:5, Funny)
I agree. Seatbelts ought to be BANNED and a large spike pointing at the drivers chest should be fitted on the steering column. Not only would it make people drive really safely, it would cut down on motoring.
Re:Chinese SUV (Score:1, Funny)
Re:I reckon.. (Score:1, Funny)
Well, really that depends on whether one considers the Ford Pinto to be a 'car' or not.
Re:Physics of car crashes aren't intuitive. (Score:3, Funny)
Ha. That made this pop into my head:
Mr Burns, of course :-)
Re:weight& speed are the big issue here (Score:5, Funny)
Obligatory Simpsons quote (Score:3, Funny)
smells like a steak and seats thirty-five..
Canyonero! Canyonero!
Well, it goes real slow with the hammer down,
It's the country-fried truck endorsed by a clown!
Canyonero! (Yah!) Canyonero!
[Krusty:] Hey Hey
The Federal Highway comission has ruled the
Canyonero unsafe for highway or city driving.
Canyonero!
12 yards long, 2 lanes wide,
65 tons of American Pride!
Canyonero! Canyonero!
Top of the line in utility sports,
Unexplained fires are a matter for the courts!
Canyonero! Canyonero! (Yah!)
She blinds everybody with her super high beams,
She's a squirrel crushing, deer smacking, driving machine!
Canyonero!-oh woah, Canyonero!
Support your local lyrics site [stlyrics.com]!
Re:This Is Genius! (Score:3, Funny)
Nice line .. (Score:1, Funny)
You really should pick a better class of vehicle.
Re:Mini vans vs SUV's (Score:3, Funny)
What's funny is that he started asking what the students needed their SUVs for and then quickly stopped when three of the first four students he asked actually needed their SUV for summer jobs (towing a large landscaping trailer, carrying tools and saw horses for decking, and carpooling six people to an internship an hour away). It was priceless because you could tell he was going to use anecdotal evidence to blast their choice of vehicle until he realized that their vehicle choices weren't too bad given their situation.
Re:Physics of car crashes aren't intuitive. (Score:4, Funny)
This is how we know you're lying -- no H2 has ever had four passengers at the same time.
Unless you mean the driver and three bags of groceries.
Re:I reckon.. (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Physics of car crashes aren't intuitive. (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Physics of car crashes aren't intuitive. (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Physics of car crashes aren't intuitive. (Score:3, Funny)
4) Profit