And yet 10,000 deaths per year means so little
Weak roofs are just one SUV design defectPerhaps you've had enough recall news for the week? Well, forgive me then, but I'd just like to use the Toyota recall to demonstrate the silliness of American culture.
Today, foreign oil dependence is a hugely important talking point, and that's it, it's only a talking point. Nobody wants to take any real action, at least not today. It's always about tomorrow.
Certainly, we can't do the obvious, simple stuff than can be done today, like making our vehicles smaller and lighter to easily increase fuel economy and reduce foreign oil consumption. Our personal safety is just too important.
And safety drives the US auto industry, right? That's why the Toyota recall scandal is SOOO important. It must be terribly important because it's possible that a few people died due to a design defect.
Ironically, however, every year around 10,000 people die in SUV rollovers, many of which are significantly due to design defects, such as overly high centers of gravity, inadequate roof structures, defective tires, defective door latches and overly narrow tire tracks - all of which are design defects that the auto industry has known about for decades.
Consequently, for decades, the US auto industry has been largely driven by an entirely defective automotive design that directly kills thousands of SUV drivers every year - mostly in single vehicle accidents - while guzzling massive amounts of foreign oil and killing everything else that gets in its way.
And yet 10,000 deaths per year continues to mean so little.
Labels: Foreign Oil Dependency, suv rollover
posted by Dahcredyns at
9:58 AM
17 Comments:
I think the rollover death problem is being addressed.
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) will be required for all passenger vehicles sold in the US, phasing in the regulation starting with 55% of 2009 models, 75% of 2010 models, 95% of 2011 models, and 100% 2012 models. IIHS currently requires ESC to qualify as a top safety pick.
There is a federal requirement for roof strength. The IIHS roof strength test this year started requiring 2.6x the federal minimum to get a good rating and to be chosen as a top safety pick.
Consumer reports also doesn't recommend cars unless they didn't tip up in a test or if not tested must come with ESC.
Nonetheless, Joel, 10,000 people are dying every year due to rollovers, 90 percent of which are single car accidents. That's about 1/4 of all automotive deaths per year.
Sure, over the last few decades improvements have been made in some of these defective areas.
Nonetheless, this is a design defect that has existed for decades. A design defect that has been locked and sealed in numerous court orders for decades.
The fact is, this should have been addressed decades ago, and it wasn't.
Well called Dahc! This brings to mind the Ford Explorer rollover that was big news about 10 years ago. Before remembering that, I'd put a lot of the bad press on this Toyota thing on lobbyists and corporate leverage. Now I kind of think its just big-news sensationalizing.
Another reason to turn off the tube. They've got 24 hours of time to fill with news. It can't all BE important, they just have to MAKE IT LOOK important.
Sensationalism!
Not that Toyota isn't desrving of a good bit of criticism, but let's keep things in perspective.
Amen.
I own a 99 Explorer.
Replacing the tires did not make the vehicle less top-heavy.
This is still a dangerous vehicle. It is statistically much more danerous than all of the Toyota's combined, yet not a single recall has been issued on the vehicle itself....
Weak roofs and high center of gravity fits the Federal standard for truck safety. It may be dangerous, but manufacturers can hide behind the regulation.
That's an extremely interesting point John. Obviously trucks have a work-related role in US industry.
For consumers, however, the safety standards should have been made tighter from Day 1.
I could be over-reaching, but the terrible importance of SUV and truck profits to the Big 3 seems to have made safety a secondary concern.
And in the end, it seems to me, profits were more important than the lives of up to several hundred thousand consumers.
contrary view - Big Mistake. Toyota is not supposed to be like the American manufacturers when it comes to safety.
They have a reputation for being much more conscientious, careful, meticulous, etc....
not good to start comparing Toyota to the competition in this way ....
Either Toyota does the right kind of "mea culpa" that acknowledges that by THEIR STANDARDS - they screwed up OR they can essentially drag their own reputation down by nay saying their competition.
contrary view.. here
I am involved with a team at Mississippi State working on a research project put out by GM called EcoCar. Part of our marketing campaign will include a hybrid car safety program of some sort.
Outside of external structural issues, plug-in electric hybrids have wires running through the doors which are dangerous if damaged (crashes/fires etc). First-response teams have to know about stuff like this in order to be able to help in disaster situations.
You can check out our project at:
http://www.cavs.msstate.edu/projects/ecocar/
Dahc, proof link? You see, the total number of US auto fatalities is 30000 per year. You mean to say that one third is due to rollovers?
Ohhh, actually you are right. Amazing:
http://www.injuryinformation.com/accidents/suv-rollovers.php
PBS - I think - had a great special on this subject several years ago. I'm going to try to find it later.
Still, the numbers are shocking. No doubt about it.
Here's a link for more info on the PBS Frontline SUV rollover piece.
still... Toyota stumbled... IMO... and people EXPECT MORE from them.
Comparing them to American cars is dragging down their reputation and giving the American cars a boost.
that's true, larry, toyota deserves a good chunk of criticism, i'd just like to see it be a little more objective and constructive. moreover, i'd like to see it reflect on the whole industry and the reality of vehicle safety in the US.
for instance, what are the chances of dying in a recalled toyota vehicle due to any of the defects in question?
extremely low. that's not an excuse for Toyota, but it is reality.
on the other hand, 10,000 people are going to die in suv rollovers this year, and for decades we've known that the basic design of SUVs would lead to massive deaths every year. even worse, its still taken decades to mitigate this reality, and still to only some extent.
well the media sharks smell blood in the water... and the juicier the victim the better.
you are absolutely right about that. i guess it really isn't that surprising.
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