> When I see those car-chase programs on TV, mostly US-made, I have trouble > believing the way US-designed cars wallow and crash with little or no > provocation. partly due to awful (cheap) tires, mainly due to a combination > of total ignorance of the driver and no dynamic ability on the car's part.
U.S. driver licensing program in majority of our states is severely lacking in driver-skill emphasis. Combine that lack of training with your average US-behemoth-SUV design and you have recipe for disaster. Add a cell phone wedged between the neck and the shoulder and you have an almost certain accident. I don't think U.S. car manufacturers are totally to blame for the hopeless designs they produce. After all, they are only attempting to meet the expectation of the market. In a land where safety is synonymous with size and car handling is a foreign word I am glad our speed limits aren't any higher. Our Vanagons, with the lower center of gravity than most vehicles their size, with proper shocks, tires, and a well-maintained suspension are much more adept at handling emergency situations. Unless, of course, you are fully loaded. Chris. '85 Westy. |
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