[Dalewyn]

The other side of the coin is that you're safer inside a bigger and heavier vehicle when you're inevitably in an accident. A big Ford F-350 is going to have a much better chance of successfully protecting its passengers than a Toyota Camry.

[etrautmann]

Safety for you at the direct expense of everyone else. Classic tragedy of the commons I suppose.

[davidw]

This is not wrong, but it's a horrible arms race that leads to an incredible loss of life as well as massive amounts of unnecessary pollution.

[notacoward]

"Make sure the other guy dies" is not a great approach to social policy.

[coryrc]

But it is a very American approach.

[kranelisa]

So, arms race towards everyone driving a tank?

[LargoLasskhyfv]

Let's drive tanks then, and play https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RoadBlasters !1!!

edit: Did not downvote, because on point.

But mine is too, in extrapolation.

[chillwaves]

Based on what? I have never heard of this rule "Bigger = safer".

Nothing "inevitable" about accidents.

[midoridensha]

It's very simple physics: if your vehicle is much larger than the vehicle you crash into, you're going to have lower acceleration forces inside your vehicle and thus experience fewer injuries.

Sucks to be the person in the other vehicle though. The end result is an arms race of vehicle sizes.

[Dalewyn]

>Nothing "inevitable" about accidents.

Car accidents are a question of when, not if. Sooner or later you're going to be in one.

If you somehow get through life without ever being involved in one, you were a very lucky bastard.

[LargoLasskhyfv]

Then I'm a lucky bastard, as lifelong pedestrian and bicyclist. Though I'm always acting as everybody else on wheels is out there trying to kill me.

Not even intentionally, just some distraction, inattention, miscalculation of my speed, or even sudden technical defect, or health problem.

Though I had countless near misses.

[mcv]

That's a defeatist attitude. Most people I know have never been in a car accident (I actually have; I just remembered. I hit a bike when turning right when I just had my license; never happened since, fortunately. Nobody was hurt). But I live in a country that cares about safe traffic design; that matters a lot.

[Dalewyn]

>That's a defeatist attitude.

It's called being realistic.

First, think of the stupidest guy you can think of and understand half of humanity is stupider than him.

Second, think of simply how many people and cars are on the road at any given time. Counting would be a fool's errand, to say the least.

Third, understand that driving a car is not something that comes naturally or instinctively. Some might be more talented drivers than others, but we all have to learn how to drive a car to varying degrees of competency.

Fourth and finally: Murphy's Law.

When you combine all of these together, it's a miracle that we aren't seeing several orders of magnitudes more car accidents on a daily basis. The old saying that you're more likely to be in a car accident going to the airport than the chance you'll be in a plane accident is based in reality.

If you get through life without being in a car accident, I reiterate you were a lucky bastard and I would sincerely be happy for your good fortune.

[sveme]

Live in Germany, driving for 25 years. Never was in an accident. Same as my father, who has been driving for more than 45 years. Anecdotes, I know, but I definitely know less people that were in accidents than those that were not.

[usr1106]

Nobody in my wider family drives. But I remember 4 accidents. 2 as passengers in a car, which is already very rare in a family without cars. 2 hit by cars breaking traffic law when cycling. Nothing overly dramatic happened, but still.

Most of my relatives and friends have been in car accidents. 2 friends of friends even deadly.

Germany, too.

Edit: My active memory is around 50 years.