mmarshall

That's what the instructors used to teach Senior-Citizens in the Defensive-Driving courses, which is one reason why so many older people drive full-sized sedans.....it's not all simply a matter of driving/riding comfort.

And that'sals one reason it takes those older people a dozen tries backing up and going forward (holding up traffic behind them) to get those big sedans in and out of tight parking spaces. And then, when they do get in and open the door, it is still at a 20-degree angle.

SW17LS

Its just not as simple as "mass=safety", its more complex than that.

mmarshall

Of course it is......especially with today's safety features. But, in general, the laws of physics have not changed.

SW17LS

Read the article from the IIHS I posted on the subject, and look at the list of vehicles they recommend. They acknowledge and agree that heavier cars are safer in an accident, but there are a lot of different factors that go into what makes a specific type of car a good choice for a specific driver.

JDR76

You cannot really say that more mass will provide more safety as that ignores what more mass does to momentum.

sm1ke

iTrader: (5)

Unless the teen/novice driver learns how to drive using a BOF truck, with proper instruction so they know the limitations of the truck, they should not be driving a big truck as their first vehicle. The same can be said for sports cars (Model 3, Mustang, GC SRT, X3M) and/or luxury/technologically-advanced cars. It makes little sense to teach a person to drive using a Civic, then gift them an Escalade loaded to the gills and expect them to just know how to drive it and not be distracted by all the fancy new stuff. We are talking about cars for teenage drivers, after all - they have a lot to learn, way more than I ever had to learn when I started driving, and there are so many additional factors related to being a teenager that may or may not influence their behaviour. For example, when I was a kid, I was peer-pressured to do a lot of stupid things, some that I caved into and others that I didn't. Social media means more avenues for that type of peer-pressure.

When my daughters are old enough to drive, I will attempt to teach them using the vehicle they will be driving (or something similar, at least). I think the most important thing is ensuring that they know how to handle the vehicle they're driving, and teaching them to understand the privilege of being able to drive.

SW17LS

Thats a very good point. Thats one of the things that was great about the defensive driving course my parents had me take, the second half of it was taught with us driving our own cars.

LeX2K

Famous quote from Car and Driver (I think). If you want to make vehicles safer replace the airbag with a sword.

Wilson2000

Mass is not your friend when you are on winding roads, or attempting to stop quickly, or attempting to avoid a collision, or when an accident is your fault and you cause "mass" amounts of bodily injury, death, and property damage!

AJT123

Yeah but what about when some idiot on their phone runs into you? I'd rather have my child shaken and alright than injured. You guys are assuming any kid that gets a BOF SUV is headed straight to the racetrack.

JDR76

No, I'm not assuming that at all. My point here in bringing up momentum is with respect to the ability of your kid to be able to quickly change course to avoid a potential accident, to successfully come to a stop (or at least reduce speed) before an impact, etc. If they can't slow down or evade the situation quickly and easily while retaining control, it's going to have a worse outcome than it could otherwise. And the faster your kid in an large vehicle is moving when they hit an obstacle, the more force their body will be under when they come to that very quick halt.

It's why absolutes don't work here. Yes, there are times when I'd like my kid to be in an absolute tank so they have the full strength of that mass to protect them. At other times, I want the kids in something small, easy to control, and quick to react so they can avoid dangerous situations.

It's like the question of "what's the safest part of the airplane to sit in?". Can't answer that, as it depends on the specific emergency situation.

SW17LS

Thats one scenario, JDR expressed the point very well above.

AJT123

Go to about 17:00 in, this crazy deadly chase in town about a year ago. It just happens to be a Tahoe lol the perps are driving. The cops successfully PITd and in no way did it roll or look like it did. I’m not saying physics are BS and that they don’t roll, but people keep mentioning all these different theoretical situations. That Tahoe did not have major major damage and I’d take the bet that he could have put it in drive and driven off even if in reduced mechanical condition If he didn’t open fire and get himself killed. That’s a safe vehicle. Trucks are tough. Try that accident in a smaller crossover… Luckily no police nor citizens were hurt or anyone else.

(I miss Live PD.)

SW17LS

That means nothing...its an absolute fact that tall SUVs are more likely to roll than lower center of gravity cars.

Wilson2000

There is a big difference between your anecdotal evidence and statistics. Statistics are not theoretical, and they say pickups and BOF SUV's roll more than passenger cars (among other illustrated safety downfalls).

You're obviously itching to buy your kid a Tahoe, and are willing to ignore the statistics, so go for it! Just don't try to convince those of us who know better that the overall safety is better.