Here is a link to a thought-provoking article on Slate discussing the repercussions of our move in America to larger and larger personal vehicles. The gist of the article is that we have done a fantastic job of emphasizing and subsequently succeeding in protecting the occupants of our cars. Where once we had dangerously compromised Corvairs and Pintos, we now have passenger vehicles which do a pretty good job at keeping us safe. The drawback is that most passenger vehicles sold are SUVs and trucks, and while much safer for their occupants because of their bulk, they are much more dangerous for outside entities in case of an accident.
The spike in SUV sales began about 20 years ago. And it was about 20 years ago when after decades of decline, road deaths in America started to rise again. Over 42,000 people died in crashes in 2021, which was a 16-year high. Given how far we’ve come in safety systems for vehicles, that number is tragic.
Click here to read the full story.