Some Thoughts on Safety

[Neanderthal]

From the Before Airbags Era.

Let’s start off with the manufacturer since he has swung into high gear screaming about safety features. My beef is that these “safety features” tend to lull the public into a false sense of security. And meanwhile the manufacturers are failing to do a lot of things which they could do and ought to do if they really want to cut down accidents and save lives. For instance, in the new car Owner’s Manual the manufacturer should emphasize, with pictures and easy-to-understand words, that this car —just like every other car—will have far slower pickup as weight is added in the form of passengers or luggage. We pointed out this simple but important fact on these pages almost ten years ago —but here goes again.

Take the biggest cars we have, with the biggest engines. Their 30-60 mph time can fall off anywhere from 25 to 40 per cent when two or three extra passengers are in the car. Unless you point this out to the owner he may have no way of knowing that the car he drives alone, five days a week on business, will become a death trap when he tries to pass a line of cars on a narrow highway on the weekend, when the weight of his wife and two in-laws has been added to the car’s load. With smaller cars this danger is even more acute. In my opinion many a serious accident has occurred because an ignorant driver did not realize that his car lost an amazing amount of its passing ability when he loaded it with additional weight. The safety boys ought to point this out, in type THIS BIG, and the Owner’s Manual is a good place to do it.


http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2012/...n-safety/#more

[Smaart Aas Saabr]

It seems this problem has been solved by adding MOAR POWAH!!

The Owner’s Manual should recommend two pressures: one for high-speed cruising, the other for short slow runs.

Well, guess that one has been taken care of too... my Saab Turbos always had a higher pressure listed for cruising in excess of 130 mph. I always tried to set my tires to that, just in case I guess or because I couldn't resist it

[MrCritical]

First of all, I don't know anyone who will read their owner's manual. That's why the manufacturer has added cd's, dvd's, and small 'infobrochures' to the owner's packet.

If you're passing in situations where adding 2-3 passengers is going to get you killed, you probably don't need to be driving on public highways anyway. You shouldn't be cutting it nearly that close. Even with no passengers the car could missfire, trans could slip, anything could get you killed. Wait for a better opportunity.

[Dr. Show-Me]

Thank goodness we can get some safety advice from July 1956 and Uncle Tom McCahill. This advice, from before the Interstate system was well underway, may have made sense then, but thanks for sharing!

[Smaart Aas Saabr]

First of all, I don't know anyone who will read their owner's manual. That's why the manufacturer has added cd's, dvd's, and small 'infobrochures' to the owner's packet.

If you're passing in situations where adding 2-3 passengers is going to get you killed, you probably don't need to be driving on public highways anyway. You shouldn't be cutting it nearly that close. Even with no passengers the car could missfire, trans could slip, anything could get you killed. Wait for a better opportunity.

Maybe we just need to reform driver education. In Poland for example, the development of roads has lagged the increase in drivers by a significant degree. It is customary (technically illegal, but customary) for drivers to pass with oncoming traffic. You flash your lights at the guy in front, he hugs the right edge of the road, and try to pass right in the middle of the carriageway as the oncoming driver hugs his right edge of the road. It seems dangerous, but generally this should make head-on collisions difficult.

[2b2]

Maybe we just need to reform driver education. In Poland for example, the development of roads has lagged the increase in drivers by a significant degree. It is customary (technically illegal, but customary) for drivers to pass with oncoming traffic. You flash your lights at the guy in front, he hugs the right edge of the road, and try to pass right in the middle of the carriageway as the oncoming driver hugs his right edge of the road. It seems dangerous, but generally this should make head-on collisions difficult.

tho I once had that exact edge-hugging thing happen to me outside of Mojave, Ca;
in general (imho),
in many parts of the U.S.,
headlight flashing has been eliminated under any-&-all circumstances by the occupants of the vehicle you flashed, SHOOTING at you

[Smaart Aas Saabr]

tho I once had that exact edge-hugging thing happen to me outside of Mojave, Ca;
in general (imho),
in many parts of the U.S.,
headlight flashing has been eliminated under any-&-all circumstances by the occupants of the vehicle you flashed, SHOOTING at you

LOL, Somali style... stuck in traffic? Just shout at Kharye manning the 50 cal in the back of your Toyota pickup to take care of it

[70AARCUDA]

Like Latins' caveat emptor, the automotive-version of "CAR DRIVER BEWARE" becomes CAVEAT CURRUS AURIGA.