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Are all SUV drivers bad drivers or just some of them?  A rant by: 30something I had two interesting experiences with SUV's today. First time: Driving down Portage this morning toward downtown. I'm in the second lane from the curb lane. The racing SUV behind me was doing about 75k and turns into the curb lane to pass me. At that moment up ahead the car that was driving in the curb lane puts his blinker on, slows down and is about to turn onto a side street. The SUV was going too fast to be able to stop without rear ending the guy, so the SUV has NO CHOICE but to drive ONTO THE SIDEWALK, yes this actually happenned. Thankfully no pedestrians were around to get hurt. After that the SUV driver was driving noticeably slower, ie-the speed limit... Second experience: I'm now driving down NESS west, and put on my blinker to let the fast driving SUV behind me know that I plan to turn onto Mount Royal, which is a block away. The fast driving SUV is driving a little too quickly too slow down and there is a car in the next lane so the SUV isn't able to change lanes. For about 2 seconds I looked in my rear view mirror and imagined the SUV pounding into the back of my car and me having to spend the next 4 months in the hospital recovering from my injuries and possibly never walking again, but thankfully the car in the other lane saw what was going to happen and slowed down considerable and allowed the SUV driver to swerve just in time into the other lane. Ah the joys of living on the same planet with people who drive big cars and believe themselves to be invincible and don't seem to care about the little cars around them. << Back Add a Comment Comments ( Add a Comment ) Rigel says: 2007-01-20 20:11:57 Much depends on the size of the SUV. Ones like the Nissan X-Trail pose no problem, but the larger types tend to isolate the driver from the road, and when he/she is a lousy or irresponsible or distracted one to begin with, the problems really start multiplying. People with the bigger ones think they can defy the laws of physics and fail to realize that the heavier the vehicle, the greater the stopping distance. They tend to get overconfident as well and think the 4WD feature can get them through anything. After the blizzard of April '97, I can recall seeing three of these in my area all stuck because they thought they were driving snowplows with their front bumpers and grilles having the same effect as shovels. The RCMP will often tell people that when the highways are in bad enough condition SUVs will just push themselves further into the ditch than normal vehicles. The real irony about these heaps is that a few years ago both Ford and one of the major American automotive magazines (Motor Trend? Car & Driver? Road & Track?) ran surveys that concluded that over 80% of drivers of SUVs needed neither the increased carrying capacity nor the 4WD drive capabilities. So it would seem the majority of those who drive them do so just to play the role; but if they want to pay the increased purchase/lease price plus the higher insurance and operating costs, it's their money. I'll stick to my '99 Mercury Cougar with snow tires, a shovel and a set of traction ladders. I've never had to be towed out yet and best of all, the car's paid for. ScandinavianGigolo says: 2007-01-21 15:08:59 If you believe that the vehicle a person buys/leases/drives is an expression of their attitude toward the outside world, then these examples of driving behaviour are fitting. Unfortunately, paying higher insurance, operating, and up front costs still doesn't represent the real price of those eyesores. As to the original question of whether SUV drivers are worse than small vehicles' drivers, probably not. They just command more power to kill. IJustWannaSayThis says: 2007-01-22 18:32:00 Agreed. Driving like an idiot isn't confined to driving a particular vehicle any more than it is confined to a particular age bracket, gender, race or financial standing. Idiots can be found in any vehicle, up to and including bicycles. Driving an SUV unfortunately only makes them that much more lethal. Personally I'd like to see a separate license class for larger vehicles. |
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These are classic cases of people having a false sence of security. Sure SUV\'s may be better in snow but they are not infalable. In addition, a vehicle is only as good as the person who drives it. SUV\'s are better at surviving large accidents however; the whole point is to avoid the accidents in the first place (as those who watch the Karate Kid would know). So everyone should subscribe to the Mr. Myagi theory of driving and buy a small car that is manoeverable and avoid accidents altogether.