Steve Schaffer
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Apr 15, 1999
- Messages
- 3,756
- Real Name
- Steve Schaffer
I don't need to see an accident to know of it's occurence, there are such things as newspapers and tv and radio news.
When I read in the newspaper that a 44 year old woman with 2 children aboard her SUV was killed because it rolled over when she attempted to avoid another vehicle or road obstruction in a sudden evasive maneuver I don't need to know what soccer league her kids are in.
SUVs aren't the only vehicles on the road that have accidents and fatalities, but they fact remains that a panic maneuver that is usually inconsequential in a sedan can and does too frequently result in a fatal rollover accident in an SUV. Even the manufacturers recognize this fact to a certain extent. Most Frame-based SUVs from Toyota have vehicle skid control, traction control, and antilock brakes as standard equipment in an effort to minimize the danger of rollover in panic maneuvers. The center of gravity on the new 4Runner is considerably lower than previous models. Sure, they want to avoid lawsuits, but the inclusion of these features as standard while it's still optional on sedans must tell even the most stubborn apologists for SUVs that there is a significant sacrifice in emergency handling stability on an SUV.
When I read in the newspaper that a 44 year old woman with 2 children aboard her SUV was killed because it rolled over when she attempted to avoid another vehicle or road obstruction in a sudden evasive maneuver I don't need to know what soccer league her kids are in.
SUVs aren't the only vehicles on the road that have accidents and fatalities, but they fact remains that a panic maneuver that is usually inconsequential in a sedan can and does too frequently result in a fatal rollover accident in an SUV. Even the manufacturers recognize this fact to a certain extent. Most Frame-based SUVs from Toyota have vehicle skid control, traction control, and antilock brakes as standard equipment in an effort to minimize the danger of rollover in panic maneuvers. The center of gravity on the new 4Runner is considerably lower than previous models. Sure, they want to avoid lawsuits, but the inclusion of these features as standard while it's still optional on sedans must tell even the most stubborn apologists for SUVs that there is a significant sacrifice in emergency handling stability on an SUV.