Fears over safety as analysis by Which? shows ‘autobesity’ epidemic means cars getting wider and longer
While this is mostly about parking issues, the part that stood out most to me in this is:
A study published in the Journal of Safety Research last year found that children were eight times more likely to die when struck by an SUV than those struck by a passenger car.
Eight times! To me, that's insane. Even if it were 50% that would be very bad, but this is 700% more!
You jest, but this is exactly what the German panel who’s responsible for our traffic „recommendations“ proposed recently: make the parking spots larger…
Leaving nuclear power was decided on by the conservatives and social democrats in 2011 with an end of life plan until 2023. This decision was already prepared in 2002 btw. And they're not closed in favor of fossils, but in favor of renewables. Sure, fossils are still in the mix and we can debate if nuclear power is considered sustainable. But the Greens didn't close nuclear power plants in favor of fossil fuels.
the Greens didn't close nuclear power plants in favor of fossil fuels.
Well, seeing as they're still using fossil fuel plants, they kinda did. They can say it was to change to renewables all they want, but if they're still burning fossils then what's the point? Shouldn't their main objective be decarbonisation?
And those children dying are just too weak.
They should either toughen up, or at least wear inflatable airbag-suits if they're going to use public spaces.
Though it is also pretty shocking that their careless parents let them walk anywhere.
/s
You joke, but my son was hit by a truck while crossing the street on the way home from the train.
The truck hit him, he landed, stood up, brushed himself off, and was going to continue home except people stopped him and made him go to the hospital.
After >10 years of karate classes, he knew how to fall without injuring himself.
He also said he'd been hit harder while sparring.
Of course, there was some adrenaline involved, and he did have some minor injuries. Nothing that needed treatment. Then he had literal years of fighting with insurance companies not paying the associated medical bills for the trip to the ER.
Edit: he was also in high school on the verge of being "an adult", so he probably isn't really who they're talking about.
As an American I completely agree. I got blasted from behind riding my bicycle to work by one of those oversized emotional support vehicles last September. That asshole nearly killed me and I WAS a healthy man in his 40s, not a child. A child would have easily died from that.
I can’t remember where I saw it for the first time but it was shortly after my accident and it was so fitting. Feel free to use it and spread it around.
I got hit by a Dodge Ram so my other lame joke is “I can take a full ram from a Dodge Ram”.
The yanks can do what they like, but it's the lazy car companies cutting costs by not designing models for different territories anymore. They just make the one frame and change the innards for different countries.
No they've always been too small. Even small cars have difficulty getting even one click on the door open when parked in the smallest of UK spaces. Sure, maybe the "standard size" UK space has been more or less sufficient, but the fact is the standard isn't enforced very well and smaller spaces are very common.
Length is another matter, and there are ways to park to address that. Although I've seen plenty who drive bigger vehicles completely fail at this, leaving their vehicle sticking out obtrusively. But the UK is notorious for having spaces that are too narrow, all in an effort to cram one more in and get more parking revenue.
No, I'm just referring to the inability to open a door even to the first point in many car parks across the UK. Not all, maybe not even most, but a significant number. I reckon it's gotten better over the years, I don't think newer car parks are a problem.
I don't drive, but growing up my mum always drove estate cars as we had dogs so needed the boot for them. Never had an issue parking or getting in or out of the car in any of them.