Forum Moderators: open
Today, I had a <deleted> from Toronto in a massive SUV come around a corner much too fast, on a nearby backroad, and he lost it on the ice and slid right in front of my Jeep. The result: my fender bashed in, the rad gone, the bumper and the passenger-side headlight assembly destroyed, and me without a car for the next 4 days. Even though he offered to cover the damage when I said we should have the police there to have a look at things (accepted by me), I'm still seriously inconvenienced.
So, what does it take to make people understand that large SUV's might get going fast really well in icy conditions, but the 4 wheel drive doesn't help with slowing them down? When I'm out on the main roads this time of year, almost every vehicle I see in the ditch is a 50,000$ SUV. These people actually believe the hype in the ads and think they can drive to the bloody moon in the things. They're a total menace on the roads.
My apologies for the rant, but these SUV-driving townies need some serious education on how to handle these things.
[edited by: tedster at 4:23 am (utc) on Dec. 16, 2005]
I drive an SUV because it fits with my rural lifestyle, and my other vehicle is a pickup truck -- even worse in icy weather than an SUV due to the light rear-end when empty. But I drive both in a sane manner, and agree that the townies could use some training. But who needs training when all you need is the latest hot-selling vehicle -- the ads clearly show that you'll become as skilled as Mario Andretti the instant you buy it!
The great advantage of the SUV is that it is a good thing to be driving in when you get hit hard and fast; I'd be a second-anniversary widower as of this coming Sunday if not for that fact. But it does come with the added responsibility of taking extra caution not to hit someone else.
Frankly. I liked it better before the folks in the cities and suburbs started buying SUVs and pickups -- the vehicles were a lot more utilitarian and less expensive. They sell an awful lot of them now with leather seats and non-locking rear differentials... Try mountain-hunting in a vehicle like that!
The owner's manual sections on driving these vehicles on wet or slick roads are pretty clear, but no one can be bothered to read them. Irresponsible ads plus irresponsible drivers means you're out of a ride for a week... And I certainly hope you don't have any latent injuries.
"The thing about common sense is that it's relatively uncommon."
Jim
We dont have snow where I live but we do have a lot of mud on the roads due to the amount of farm machinery moving about. People just dont understand that this type of vehicle doesn't handle like your average car, even in good conditions. ABS and 4WD just isnt going to help you once you get into a slide. The roads where I live can be single tracks with enough room for one vehicle. I can't count the number of times people have almost run headlong into me in their 4WD's.
Your rant is justified in my opinion and I think people should be encouraged to take an off road test as well as a day on the skid pan.
Sorry to hear your jeep has been totalled. I love mine.
Ska
To many people just forget to drive according to road conditions. No matter what you drive, you need to stay within it's limits.
Mack.
Anyway, there's two things you need when driving around here.
First up is some seriously good ice tires. Toyo or Blizzaks are the only way to go. Then if you drive sanely you don't need 4wd.
Secondly always carry a rolled up newspaper for accidents such as you've described. Then you've got something non-lethal to swat these people upside the head with.
Lesson learned? Check.
The other point about car companies and the advertising, have you ever noticed you never, ever see another car on the road. Even if it is an urban setting.
I got the bad news on the estimate this aft - 1600 CDN$ if they do the absolute minimum. The guy who hit me claimed he would cover repairs, but I sure hope he won't stiff me for that (estimate done late in the day, mechanic to call him, still in limbo). If he does, my life will be difficult for the next little while.
Man, if he hadn't been in his giant, fancy SUV, he wouldn't have lost it on the corner, and I wouldn't be marooned in the bush right now. (Nobody who lives here drives vehicles like that - we're all in 4x4 pick-ups, old jeeps, front-wheel drive cars, and we all know to keep the speed down in the winter.)
Anyway, I have a lot of GPS mapping to do, and there's almost enough snow to x-cntry ski, and my neighbour dropped off a 24 of beer... I just have to figure out how to pay for the repairs if the other guy isn't good for his word. So it goes.
ADDED: Wheel, I'm in the Town of the Blue Mountains, near Collingwood. We get a lot of tourists for the skiing, etc. Those are the ones that always cause the accidents and near-misses here.
My fear is that as these behemoths age they will be assigned to the status of "learning vehicle" to the next generation of drivers.
"Hey, I want my kid to be safe when he's learning to drive."
"Ummmm, okay, but what about the rest of us?"
Used to be a time when drivers wanted to get closer to the road, now it seems the farther away, the better!
I have an SUV that I drive when it's raining. Slow and easy, because I know almost everyone can stop faster than me, and trying to make a quick lateral move will put me out of control. Someone pulled out in front of me a few months ago, and I lost it while avoiding them. Luckily, I regained control instead of flipping it. I wasn't even mad at the other driver... I was happy to be upright, not in a skid, and rolling straight forward.
In the snow (particularly ice), I go slow, and brake way ahead. I always approach it as if I'm not going to stop. The truth is that I really feel that way much of the time.
Talk about dangerous, a woman in a Mercedes SUV nearly ran me down on a crosswalk three days ago... she waved at me as she passed.
I've never been big on SUVs because of the rollover issue, plus the gas. It costs a fortune to fill those up in the SF Bay Area (plus, it doesn't snow out here and the roads are all well paved).
If I move out back east in a year, I'll buy a 4WD, but not an SUV. It'll have to be something with decent gas mileage (it's good for the country and my pocketbook), and low to the ground.
SUVs should be subjected to better design standards that would make them less hazardous to other vehicles. Fenders should be at the same level as other vehicles, common sense things like that.
I liked it better when they were mainly used in rural areas.
Her last 2 cars were totaled out in acedents. Both durring her lunch hour I think. granted they were both the other persons fault but this is the same person who once stoped the car in the middle of a busy street and put it into reverse waving other cars around her.
Defensive driver she is not.
