US-styled large trucks linked to a higher risk of pedestrian deaths, Australian study finds
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/us-styled-large-trucks-linked-to-a-higher-risk-of-pedestrian-deaths-study/aquttdqr2
248 points · 75 comments · view on lemmy.world
75 Comments
nbsp@programming.dev · 58 pts · 1d
make them require LR – Light Rigid licence. if you really "need it for work", no worries, just do the course.
pHr34kY@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 1d
Charge rego by the kilo, or by road surface area. It's crazy that they cost the same to put on the road as a 900kg hatch.
VibeSurgeon@piefed.social · 9 pts · 1d
Bonus points if you make the fee scale by weight to the fourth power, to match the relative impact it has on road wear
pHr34kY@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1d
Also torso damage when you flatten a pedestrian.
TrippaSnippa@aussie.zone · 6 pts · 1d
Rego in NSW does scale by weight. Other states should bring that in if they don't already. However, that hasn't stopped yank tanks from flooding NSW roads. They should also require an LR licence since they are literally the size of a truck.
Cethin@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 16h
It should be exponential too. That's how road wear works, so make them pay in accordance to the damage it does to the roads.
fizzle@quokk.au · 8 pts · 1d
I was going to say just put a stupid-tax on them, but I guess Trump has kinda done that with the price of diesel.
ForgottenUsername@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 1d
And remove the tax concessions for using them as 'work' vehicles.
Taleya@aussie.zone · 15 pts · 1d
I'll be honest, remove it for any fucking ute that doesnt literally have a motorised compressor, pump or similar bolted to the tray.
98% of tradies can do their shit out of a van, they just want a swanky ute they can be an utter cunt on the road with. And they can go get fucked.
budget_biochemist@slrpnk.net · 11 pts · 1d
90% of them can do it out of a hatchback. They just need a gender affirming vehicle.
Salvo@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 20h
And of course, LR will require a BAC of 0.00.
That will discourage certain people from buying them if they don’t need it.
nbsp@programming.dev · 2 pts · 18h
damn... that's perfect :D
almost want to create a website to start a campaign.
pgs@aussie.zone · 1 pts · 17h
Do it. I'll sign up.
AndyMFK@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 35 pts · 1d
Yeah, no shit. They shouldn't even be road legal here imo.
Salvo@aussie.zone · 1 pts · 5h
The line has to be drawn somewhere.
Regular punters need to be able to hire a light truck on a regular licence, in case they need to move something bulky. Light trucks need to be crew-cabs so that a team of four can be transported to the job site, with all their tools. And you can’t legislate on the styling of a vehicle.
If I had my way, the laws would be changed to mandate forward visibility, without reliance on ADAS. This would close the loophole, but overcab light trucks would still be legal; Mitsubishi Canters, Isuzu N-Series and Hino 300-series all provide great visibility.
MrRandom@lemmy.zip · 24 pts · 1d
these cars aren't safe and should be made illegal, like other unsafe profucts from the USA.
eremophila@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 1d
and people from the usa
MisterFrog@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 18h
We don't hate individuals.
There is no war but the class war, and I don't care where you're from, only what your personal politics are.
People from the USA, don't listen to this person.
If you could topple your ruling class and stop your country being imperialistic, that'd be superb.
eremophila@lemmy.zip · -2 pts · 16h
Your lack of class (yet again) is not a war.
MisterFrog@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 15h
The fuck are you on about?
Anyway, hating on any group of people just because of their national origin is a terrible opinion.
Hate the polity, hate the group's actions as a whole, but predjuice against someone just because their background is ridiculous.
MalReynolds@slrpnk.net · 16 pts · 1d
Remember, even twenty years ago, cars were a lot narrower, people could park on both sides of a street and two cars could pass going opposite directions. Then some prick in the US decided 'trucks' didn't need to follow environmental protection laws, a dick waving marketing campaign ensued, and here we are, stopping to let people pass on roads that were designed not to need that.
Just make rego higher on wide vehicles. Fortunately the switch to EVs gives us a once in a generation chance to change things back from US stupidity.
Greyghoster@aussie.zone · 13 pts · 1d
Anything over 4.5 tons needs a truck license and is speed limited to 100km. A RAM is 4.48 tons.
auzy1@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 19h
Yeah. They need to lower, and set a lower physical length limit. At my local IGA the other day, there were a total of 4 large utes using 11 spots. The drivers are the laziest drivers on the planet.
They drive them like shit, they park like shit, and then use the size of their car as an excuse to drive like an unsupervised 12 year old who has never driven a car before.
Even worse, you never see them actually towing anything, and there is only a single dirty Dodge RAM out there (we actually did see one once, and the whole car pointed it out). You'll never see courier drivers with them, and the people you do see with them, are always the exact people you expect
Greyghoster@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 15h
I have a Hilux which I think is big . Used for farm work and towing while the EV is my preferred vehicle these days as it is much more cost effective. The Hilux is actually tiny compared with a RAM or Silverado. I’m quite conscious that visibility in a parking lot is bad around a Ute or SUV but as you say many are totally oblivious or just don’t care about their usage.
Parking inspectors could be a big help here.
Taleya@aussie.zone · 3 pts · 3h
Drop the threshold to 4
RhondaSandTits@lemmy.sdf.org · 3 pts · 12h
The Importer de-rated their carrying capacity to keep them under the limit for what can be driven on a car licence.
and also would require the driver to not exceed 0.00 BAC.
I wonder how the instant asset write off dropping to $20,000 (down from $150,000 in previous years!?!) has affected the sales of these vehicles.
ThomasWilliams@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 19h
Geobloke@aussie.zone · 0 pts · 1d
That's not even close to being true - a RAM 1500 is 2620kg. Still really heavy, but not close to the cut off
Greyghoster@aussie.zone · 1 pts · 1d
That GVM, vehicle plus load for a RAM 2500.
brevl@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1d
Sounds like it falls in the under 5Ton category then? Even fully loaded?
Greyghoster@aussie.zone · 1 pts · 1d
4.5tons. It fits by a few kilos.
DolphinLundgrin@aussie.zone · 12 pts · 1d
Fucking shocked fucking pikachu fucking face
TIEPilot@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 1d
No shit and waters wet...
These insane sized grills/front ends look great in the driveway be a nightmare otherwise. Its a rolling battering ram...
stoy@lemmy.zip · 19 pts · 1d
No, they really don't
TIEPilot@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1d
I was being facetious, I thought that was obvious.
sem@piefed.blahaj.zone · 3 pts · 1d
Are you really surprised? This is a text based medium. Poe's law exists.
FYI for anyone reading this who doesn't know.
NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 1d
News to me, I think they look like giant look at me signs that say I have a tiny pecker and/or extreme insecurity in my person. They're a red flag, and anybody who has one i try to avoid.
subgenius@lemmy.zip · 8 pts · 1d
These vehicles are primarily personal use in Canada. And I couldn’t care less about personal vehicle choice. However…. In my observations here I often see. 1. A single driver. 2. That they far too often follow stupidly close behind me. It feels like some weird dominance/intimidation game by them. And I don’t have the time or interest to play along. This is real here, others have mentioned similar observations to me.
eremophila@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 1d
Same here in Australia, at least with the ford rangers, and toyota hilux's. They became the most popular cars in Australia, even though the majority of Australians live in cities. The drivers love to tailgate. No doubt they are slowly being replaced with these even stupider, and larger utes. Chances are most of them will also be road coloured too.
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 21h
Unfortunately the phenomenon is not limited to Canada. I think statesia accidentally'd your Alberta or something.
supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz · 6 pts · 23h
I fucking hate the public safety amnesia around this, we knew this would happen, that is why cars weren't designed like that before.
auzy1@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 19h
I want a smaller 4wd with lots of clearance (as a backup). What I want is a Jimny, but BEV with lots of range.
The only car I can find with my requirements at the moment is the Trailseeker or Solterra.
I drive a jeep at the moment. But, I don't want a large car.
Tired of Dodge RAM drivers and other large utes using their big size as an excuse for bad parking, and driving like shit. Instead, they should be driven at a better standard. At my local IGA, the other day, there were literally 4 cars using at least 11 spots..
At the very least, they should be double demerit
nbsp@programming.dev · 2 pts · 16h
if everyone with lots of money could go out and buy a subaru uncharted now, so i can pick one up in a few years 2nd hand to replace my XV... that would be kinda perfect.
auzy1@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 15h
I don't think my Jeep will last a few years anymore. It cost me 10K in the last 2 years.. I can't afford a trailseeker, so, may need a car loan
melsaskca@lemmy.ca · 4 pts · 13h
After a deeper investigation it was found that there are no standards at all anymore. /s
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 21h
I just want a small vehicle what can tow shit, is that too much to ask
auzy1@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 19h
Yep. I don't even need to tow. I just want a BEV with enough range, with good clearance. The Trailseeker is the only one that has what I need.
I want a BEV jimny basically. Not a shark 6.
NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 19h
We can file this one under no shit sherlock
doingthestuff@lemy.lol · 3 pts · 1d
I live in truck country. But no worries, there are effectively no pedestrians. Everyone knows they would die if they walked in the road. It's mostly the commercial size trucks killing people though, they're everywhere around me and they're much bigger and heavier than our pickups, and they can't stop quickly.
bitteroldcoot@piefed.social · 2 pts · 1d
Of course, that’s what they are made to do.
There is a point system in the usa, the more you hit the higher your score.
Geobloke@aussie.zone · 1 pts · 1d
I wonder if these utes are less safe for the occupants as well. They are taller and heavier than most cars making them less safe in corners and needing a bigger braking distance to stop
korda@aussie.zone · 1 pts · 1d
Even the trucks have gunts.
Madzielle@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 12h
I saw two lifted white trucks parked not too far from me earlier this week. They legit looked like monster trucks. Like, if I was still a kid, and it was still the 90's, and I saw those trucks I did the other day, I had thought they were monster trucks for a show, just- not painted. its wild.
Taleya@aussie.zone · 2 pts · 3h
My fave was the one i saw awkwardly trying to back out of the entrance to the warrigal rd carwash because they told him to fuck off they weren't running it. Dunno what the dude thought that car would give him but i doubt was a queue of subi drivers pointing and laughing
porcelainpitcher@lemmy.today · -1 pts · 1d
Fuck Cars@lemmy.world
Sorry I don't know how to make it a link
The_Decryptor@aussie.zone · 8 pts · 1d
Put an exclamation mark in front of it, with the "handle" of the community rather than the display name.
!fuckcars@lemmy.world
porcelainpitcher@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 1d
Oh yeah! Thank you
Tau@aussie.zone · -14 pts · 1d
Congrats to all those who stuck overly low speed limits anywhere people dared to have fun, complained when ads showed a car doing more than driving sedately, and complained about spending money on fixing roads to a proper smooth standard. You've successfully moved the aspirational goals of most people's car ownership from handling and performance to being larger, higher up, and capable of adventure holidays.
Not that I expect any of these people to admit they've helped caused this problem, the efforts will probably move now to trying to also ban anyone from enjoying themselves on the dirt.
Taleya@aussie.zone · 13 pts · 1d
"Dared to have fun" ???
ITS A FUCKING CAR ON A ROAD, NOT A RIDE
Tau@aussie.zone · -6 pts · 1d
That screeching is a great example of what helped shift people (and design/manufacturing budgets) away from building lighter and lower cars. No point prioritising those things which help handling when speed limits keep being set well below the safety limits of actual trucks (let alone cars), you can't advertise sporty handling, and roads become more and more potholed.
Take away people's ideas of one form of enjoyment when driving and they'll find another - this has ended up with everyone having ideas of adventure instead and now you've got herds of nominally off road capable SUVs everywhere and many more four wheel drives than there used to be in urban areas.
Taleya@aussie.zone · 9 pts · 1d
Mate, if your response to "stop being a dickhead on the road" is to build or buy a massive ego soothing vehicle, then that is entirely on you and your toddler brain. Don't try and blame other people.
Tau@aussie.zone · -3 pts · 1d
Ah yes, because insulting people instead of admitting actions can cause effects is such a marker of a developed intelligence...
jimbob@aus.social · 4 pts · 1d
@Tau @Taleya spoken like a true Ranger driver
msbellows@c.im · 3 pts · 1d
@jimbob @Tau @Taleya I don't disagree that trucks weren't as popular when "sports cars" were fun and affordable and people could drive MGs and Austin-Healeys fast on curvy roads. It's interesting to ask whether safety measures like making roads straighter and installing speed cameras has discouraged car driving and therefore encouraged more dangerous wankpanzers.
ozeng@aus.social · 2 pts · 1d
@jimbob @Tau @Taleya lmaoo
aside: one of my favourite sayings is “it’s not every Ranger driver, but it’s always a Ranger driver”
I’ve always owned sports cars and similarly bemoan the over-policing and lowering of speed limits but the theme of “we used to do so much shit when we were younger” is common across generations - it’s nothing new. Similarly, lowering speed limits is an inevitable response to roads becoming more congested over time.
I also own a big 4WD and it gets seen and respected much more on the road because everyone else is driving big vehicles and doesn’t think to look for little vehicles (or motorbike riders for that matter!). So yeah the road is a hostile space if “small and zippy” is your thing.
Circling back to your comment, I have a totally different mindset when driving the sports car vs the 4WD. The sports car wants to do stuff. The 4WD wants to loaf along and take 10 seconds to reach the speed limit. The characteristics of the car do influence my mindset. I can only assume that Rangers want their owners to behave like a complete pillock.
autolycos@beige.party · -4 pts · 1d
@Taleya @Tau my bus is so short it only has 2 wheels
stib@aus.social · 3 pts · 1d
@Tau Oh nOeS tHEy puT thE sPEed LimIT tOO low For ME tO "dARe tO hAVe fuN" dRiVIng aROunD sUbuRbaN sTrEEts I hAvE to buY a moNsTeR TruCk is the most carbrained bullshit take I've seen on Mastodon
@Taleya
#CarBrain
Madzielle@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 12h
have you been to a car show? peoole still have fun. The most fun I had in a car was my 2003 Nissan Sentra se-r spec-v. 6speed manual trans with a V6 engine. Holy fuck I loved that car. My 02 Jetta vr6 was pretty fun too, but that nissan yo.
You wanna have fun just drive a manual, maybe not in the urban area (why have a car at all in an urban area), but.. idk. Go the speed limit, theyre not too low. Vehicles today are just made in a way you feel your speed less. So, drive a stick so you can actually feel your speed.
eremophila@lemmy.zip · 11 pts · 1d
None of those things forced bogans to buy over-compensation deep fried yank tanks.
geonz@mathstodon.xyz · 4 pts · 1d
@Tau @okwithmydecay
Sorry, your idea of fun kills too many people.
the_q@piefed.social · 3 pts · 1d
You're a lot of what's wrong with modern societies. In not saying this as an insult either. You're outdated and like many of your like-minded brethren you drag us all down.
Tau@aussie.zone · -6 pts · 1d
You're a lot of what is wrong with the modern left. No capacity for nuance and if someone is perceived as failing any of the multitudes of purity tests then they're obviously terrible and couldn't possibly have a point.
I've never even liked the proliferation of SUVs let alone the American utes, I'm just sick of the anti car crowd bewailing the current situation without having the intellectual honesty to admit they helped cause it.
the_q@piefed.social · 4 pts · 1d
It's always up to us to figure out what people like you mean. You're the one being dishonest here. The truth is you don't care about others safety or the environmental impact of automobiles. You like power and excitement and what you like supersedes everything else.
eremophila@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 1d
You need to move to (or back to) mcmurica jim-bob
balsoft@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 15h
You are getting things backwards.
The reason trucks are popular is because they are more profitable to capitalists selling them compared to regular cars.
So, naturally, capitalists poured a whole bunch of money into propaganda to make the SUV/truck a "cultural staple" and a gender-affirming purchase for men. Feeding on the worst, most individualistic and toxic aspects of our society to make even more profit selling murder machines.
If the "anti-car" people you blame for this actually had any influence, there would be a reasonable compromise of requiring a commercial driver's license to operate these monstrosities.
Or, if we really had our way, there would not be any cars in densely populated areas at all.
Nbard@aussie.zone · 1 pts · 22m
Do you live your entire life in reaction to other people? It sounds exhausting.