Smart Cars via Penske Automotive Group have been in US for almost 20 months. I believe there are 31,000 Smarts currently on US roads. The calculation gets a bit messy because the number of Smarts is increasing each month, but I estimate that in the past 20 months roughly 3 people should have been killed in their Smart Car assuming it was average.
From another message I wrote:
Quote:
In 2007, 30,527 people were killed in their cars and there were 255,748,000 Vehicles. That comes to 255,748,000 Vehicles / 30,527 people killed = 8,378 Vehicles for each person killed in their car (Average in 1 year).
From The first day the Smart Car shipped to August 15, 2009, using the 8,378 figure per year, I would expect about 3 people killed in their Smart Car assuming it was average.
In searching as best as I can, I have found 2 deaths in a Smart Car; one less than what we should expect: Donald Dixon, 81 and Raonel Tapanes, 61.
The sad truth is that people die every day from auto accidents. The good news is that in 2006, 2007, and 2008, the total deaths dropped slightly, even with an increase in cars and population. However, NO CAR is 100% death proof. People have died in every make and model.
I feel that the data from the Smart Car is starting to show that the car is proving safer than the expected average. Recent IIHS results show that their roof crush tests require 9,000 pounds of force to crush the roof of the Smart.
Close to what? The reflexes of a martial artist? The reflexes of a fighter pilot?
Let's just agree that there are people driving cars who physically or mentally cannot react with the quickness required to safely operate a motor vehicle.
Their age has absolutely no bearing on their ability behind the wheel.
reflexes- close to a 16 yr old, brainless and no experience all the way up to at say, 65 yr old.
and yes theres a lot of unfortunates in between.
age- try driving around a retirement city for a few days then tell me more about old seniors and their driving habits. no offense.
just my opinion, not that yours isnt good.
It is sad to see so many people needlessly killed on our highways. In head on collisions if both vehicle are going 40 mph the impact is about equal to hitting a stationary object at 80 mph. The bigger, stronger vehicle always has an advantage and is more safe. It is up to the individual to choose their amount of safety.Unfortunately some that drive bigger, stronger vehicles abuse the rights of others.
My wife and I put more miles on our motorcycle than any car we have, and the motorcycle offers the least amount of safety, and we know it and try to be even more careful. Realistically, the only thing you can do is be as careful as possible and hope that you are not one of the unlucky ones to cross the path of one of the more aggressive drivers carelessly driving a bigger vehicle.
Yes, please don't lock this thread. One of the most annoying experiences for me in this forum this far has been the suppression of information and a couple individuals trying to suppress me personally (through PM's and in threads). Let's not follow a sad event with suppression of information and censorship, simply because we're trying to 'protect' some from details of an event which cannot be undone.
Knowledge is power. Of course we're sad about the guy dying in a smart. The idea here is to learn from it, and correct misinformation which will inevitably result from this crash. Not talking about it will not change the fact that this happened and that it's public record.
If this thread offends someone, that person can refrain from reading it, after all, the title is fair warning.
My only beef is the title of the piece; "Smart Car Driver killed. . ."
If it were any other car, would it be titled the same? I.e. "Fort Escort driver killed . . . or Toyota Camry driver killed . . . "
I Don't Think So . . . The fact that he used the name of the car to grab attention either shows bias or is tribute to the fact that a smart fatality is so rare in the first place.
My only beef is the title of the piece; "Smart CarDriver killed. . ."
If it were any other car, would it be titled the same? I.e. "Fort Escort driver killed . . . or Toyota Camry driver killed . . . "
I Don't Think So . . . The fact that he used the name of the car to grab attention either shows bias or is tribute to the fact that a smart fatality is so rare in the first place.
I agree, but my guess to your answer is that it was THIS one......sad
Assuming you are blessed with continued good health, at what age will you voluntarily surrender your driver's licenses?
What is you current age?
Bill
I agree that it needs to be done on an individual basis based on some kind of skill-test. There are probably 81-year-old drivers who are way better than some 25 year old texting, drinking coffee, talking on a cell and smoking whilst driving. At least people in the old days grew up driving without all these crazy distractions or the need to multi-task when the lives of others are at risk.
id give up my only (1) license by 80 . how many licenses do you have?
people have smoked and drank coffee for the last 80 years while driving , and yes the cell phone useage is dangerous.
im 55 and have no interest in "old" senior drivers, they should all get bambams old pill by then. :-)
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