SUV's and winter driving-

[BeanoNYC]

Originally Posted by Marc

Q: Are there any conclusions to be drawn from this or was it coincidence? List your reasons (preferably in a coherent manner) with your opinion.

Yes: It's not driving an suv in the snow that's a problem it's stopping. Someone who is not used to driving in the snow but is driving in an suv will have a false sense of security. As soon as there is a problem, said driver, will immediately hit the breaks. Inertia on a heavy truck will prevail and....boom.

[Marc]

Beano: Thanks for your opinion. Do you or have you owned an SUV?

[BeanoNYC]

Originally Posted by Marc

Beano: Thanks for your opinion. Do you or have you owned an SUV?

Today:

Toyota Corolla

Land Rover Freelander

Tomorrow: Subaru Outback

[Brettski]

I take NJ Transit

I win in an accident

[andyzee]

Originally Posted by BeanoNYC

Yes: It's not driving an suv in the snow that's a problem it's stopping. Someone who is not used to driving in the snow but is driving in an suv will have a false sense of security. As soon as there is a problem, said driver, will immediately hit the breaks. Inertia on a heavy truck will prevail and....boom.

You think you're smart, doncha?

[aoneil]

People who own SUVs aren't better drivers or worse. However, worse drivers (who don't realize that being able to get traction and go faster doesn't correspond to an equal ability to stop) have more opportunity to make things bad for others.

I have an older Honda CR-V and I'm able to get where I need to go. I see a lot of people in big SUVs on the side of the road during bad weather - usually plowed into something. Like most other things, I'm most worried about avoiding the other people when driving rather than my ability to start or stop. Yes, it's a lot like going skiing.

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

I can't wait until gas prices hit like 8 bucks a gallon and then there won't be so many SUV eco-disasters on the road..

[Bumpsis]

Originally Posted by aoneil

People who own SUVs aren't better drivers or worse. However, worse drivers (who don't realize that being able to get traction and go faster doesn't correspond to an equal ability to stop) have more opportunity to make things bad for others.

I have an older Honda CR-V and I'm able to get where I need to go. I see a lot of people in big SUVs on the side of the road during bad weather - usually plowed into something. Like most other things, I'm most worried about avoiding the other people when driving rather than my ability to start or stop. Yes, it's a lot like going skiing.

Actually, according to motor industry's internal market research, SUV drivers tend to be worse drivers (vs. sedan, minivan), or at least, as statistical group, they lack confidence in their own driving skills. That's probably one of the reasons why they would surround themselves with a lot of metal and rubber that sits high off the ground. Source: "High and Mighty" by Keith Bradsher. It's great book about how SUVs came to be such a smashing marketing success.

I think that this book ought to be a required reading by anyone who drives or is thinking about getting an SUV, especially one of the truck based creations. To me, an SUV represents an automotive version of "Emperor's new clothes". It promisses many things, the chief among them being safety, yet, in reality it only delivers false sense of security and through that very function, makes the vehicle unsafe,especially in iffy weather conditions.

This is not say that an SUV can not be driven in a safe manner, but it all depends on the driver. Still, I think that everybody's margin of safety on the road would go up by a bit if these automotive abominations would disappear from the roads.

[ckofer]

Originally Posted by Marc

How about a little pot stirring today:

Driving back from VT last night, 91 froze into a skating rink between 93 and approximately exit 3. Also hit a couple very heavy snow squalls and big winds.

We drove by 10 single vehicle MVA's... 6 were SUV's and another 1 was a pickup. And another was a VW van.

Q: Are there any conclusions to be drawn from this or was it coincidence? List your reasons (preferably in a coherent manner) with your opinion.

Obviously they were reading the warning decals on their visors instead of watching the road. Were they wearing helmets?

[snoseek]

Originally Posted by GrilledSteezeSandwich

I can't wait until gas prices hit like 8 bucks a gallon and then there won't be so many SUV eco-disasters on the road..

Me too.