[CraigAllen]

Well, Duh...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051007/hl_nm/suvs_pose_greater_danger_pedestrians____s_dc
(I bolded the most stupid and the most obvious sentences

By Patricia Reaney
Fri Oct 7, 3:40 PM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - Sports utility vehicles (SUVs) may feel safer for their drivers but they are more deadly than other cars for pedestrians, Irish scientists said on Friday.

Research has shown that the chance of killing or seriously injuring a pedestrian is two to four times higher for someone driving an SUV, or 4X4 vehicle, than a car.

"There is clearly a higher risk for pedestrians when they are struck by a light truck or SUV compared to a passenger car," Dr. Ciaran Simms, an expert in mechanical engineering at Trinity College in Dublin, told Reuters.

Elderly pedestrians and children are most at risk.

In an editorial in The British Medical Journal medical journal, Simms and Desmond O'Neill, a professor of medical gerontology at Trinity College, called for warnings on SUVs to inform buyers of the increased risk the vehicles pose to pedestrians.

They also recommended a higher road tax and called for all SUVs involved in accidents to be documented.

The researchers, who studied accidents involving SUVs to determine why they are so deadly for pedestrians, said size didn't matter.

The main problem was the height and shape of the front of vehicle. The hood, or bonnet, is higher than on cars and has a more severe impact when it strikes the center of the body and upper legs and pelvis.

Raising the edge of the front hood or bonnet of a vehicle from 600-850 mm (24-33 inches) increases the impact by a factor of two, which results in a doubling of injuries to vulnerable parts of the body such as the head and abdomen.

The vehicles are increasingly popular. Sales of SUVs in Europe have risen by 15 percent in the last year while demand for cars has slumped by 4 percent, according to the scientists.

"In the United States, 40 percent of new vehicles are classified as light trucks or vans (many of which are SUVs)," they said in the editorial.

Elderly pedestrians are more vulnerable to the dangers of SUVs because they are weaker, less agile and may have poorer reactions that may make them less likely to avoid being struck and more at risk of suffering serious injuries and dying.

The increased height may also make it more difficult for drivers to see young children in front of or around the vehicle, according to the researchers.

I say again, Well, DUH! Wonder how much these scientists got paid for this study -- I'd have taken half that amount and given the same results.

[Tom95YJ]

Just think those people call themselfs scientist

[Texan4life]

I saw a Honda Accord rear end an Escalade earlier this week. The Accord would have done much better if it's bumper were higher. Maybe they should redesign the car instead of the SUV. They could put the bumper above the radiator instead of below it

[trailboss]

Bah..Scientists...what do they know.....

[K-Pax]

maybe they should raise the taxes for peds? i mean..........it doesn't take much brains NOT to walk out in front of an SUV or any other car. i'm not sure, but maybe i should see if i can get some grant money to do a study on what dangers semis pose on pedestrians but i bet it's tons more than an SUV

[Tri_X_Troll]

Originally Posted by K-Pax

maybe they should raise the taxes for peds? i mean..........it doesn't take much brains NOT to walk out in front of an SUV or any other car. i'm not sure, but maybe i should see if i can get some grant money to do a study on what dangers semis pose on pedestrians but i bet it's tons more than an SUV

AMEN. You have no idea how many dip-=-=-=-=s have walked out in front of me in parking lots.

[rowdy1]

Originally Posted by Tri_X_Troll

AMEN. You have no idea how many dip-=-=-=-=s have walked out in front of me in parking lots.

Me too I wonder how many of these "experts" drive Yugos?

[D-train]

i heard that driving an SUV can cause cancer...

[rowdy1]

Originally Posted by D-train

i heard that driving an SUV can cause cancer...

Just use your cell phone while driving. The radiation will kill the cancer cells

[trailboss]

Originally Posted by K-Pax

maybe they should raise the taxes for peds? i mean..........it doesn't take much brains NOT to walk out in front of an SUV or any other car. i'm not sure, but maybe i should see if i can get some grant money to do a study on what dangers semis pose on pedestrians but i bet it's tons more than an SUV

hahahaha...thats true...most of them do it on PURPOSE....kids or punks...."i'll sue you" they say.....

wish there could be a "deathrace 2000" type deal around here....

[Oman Jeep]

How the f--- do you NOT see a full blown SUV coming towards you?

I want to daily-drive a beast like THIS for the good of the pedestrians...

[Moose_God]

Badass Excursion! Looks like an FBI truck or something. Bet it gets 5 MPG though...

How many of these "scientists" probably drive hybrids?

[rowdy1]

I think I actually saw this Excursion in Texas somewhere.

[Oman Jeep]

Originally Posted by Moose_God

Badass Excursion! Looks like an FBI truck or something. Bet it gets 5 MPG though...

I know... I want a lot of cars and I want a lot of them to be red... but after seeing that beast, I really want an Excursion that's all black except the rims... Visually that thing is about perfect!

[PM Thor]

What kind of study is this? Anyone who studies to be an EMT or paramedic can tell you unequivocabily (sp--dranking biotches) the higher the bumper, the more dangerous the vehicle. It makes common sense. The higher you hit someone, the more chance for a head injury, not from the initial impact, but from the fact that you knock someone off their feet, causing their head to hit the ground.

DUH.