Pickup trucks are a plague on Canadian streets

[james t kirk]

Guess you haven't been to Alberta or Saskatchewan for a while ... almost nobody bothers with 1/2 tons out there, they go right to the 3/4 and 1 ton trucks as DDs.

I have worked in Alberta. Never lived there for more than a month. From the very southern end all the way up to Great Slave Lake in the NWT and all points between. To tell you the truth, I never paid much attention to who was driving what.

I know that the 1/2 ton is the vehicle of choice in terms of pickup sales in North America by far.

I can't see driving an F350 as a day to day driver. It's not fun to drive. Especially the steering.

But here's the thing to remember about me. I'm not going to tell anyone what kind of vehicle they can buy or drive. Not my business. As long as the vehicle meets the CAFE and SAE standards - I'm golden. I take a dim view of guys who modify pollution controls or any such nonsense. You can increase performance, I don't care, but it still has to meet the emission standards. Besides, the standards allow vehicles to throw as much pollution as required if the vehicle is floored (presumably the power is needed to get your ass out of a situation). Computer controlled engines, transmissions and fuel injection all allow for this. Floor it and you get maximum power out of that engine without regard to pollution until such time as you back off the gas and resume a normal driving mode at which time the pollution controls resume normal operation.

 

[JeanGary Diablo]

When I see a pickup truck, I think there must be some hayseed behind the wheel. Or worse, a wannabe redneck who never uses it to haul anything.

 

[NiceToMeetYou]

I agree with the article. Pickup trucks and SUV cause most of deaths in the collisions with cars which 83% of deaths were drivers and passengers inside the cars. The drivers of pickup trucks tend to dangerously tailgate other people's vehicles because they know that their survivor's rates are much higher in the collisions. In the collisions with the cars, pickup trucks and SUV roll over into the compartments of the cars to cause the fatal collisions. The height of pickup trucks and SUV by pass the cars' bumpers and side-door's seems.

Government needs to impose substantially financial surcharges on the drivers of pickup trucks and SUV if they are not using for trade's works such as hauling tools and equipment for their trade's works

 

[redshank]

First guy in this video fits the stereotype

 

[ex premier mike harris]

As a former Premier I can attest to the utilitarian usefulness of my pickup truck, these are just merely screams of hyperbole from a beta male that can't compete in a male hierarchy.
Let it be known from this day forward that Marcus Gee is a cuck. Thank you.

 

[james t kirk]

I agree with the article. Pickup trucks and SUV cause most of deaths in the collisions with cars which 83% of deaths were drivers and passengers inside the cars. The drivers of pickup trucks tend to dangerously tailgate other people's vehicles because they know that their survivor's rates are much higher in the collisions. In the collisions with the cars, pickup trucks and SUV roll over into the compartments of the cars to cause the fatal collisions. The height of pickup trucks and SUV by pass the cars' bumpers and side-door's seems.

Government needs to impose substantially financial surcharges on the drivers of pickup trucks and SUV if they are not using for trade's works such as hauling tools and equipment for their trade's works

This is utter bullshit.

Where do get the data that shows pickup drivers tailgate? That's nonsense.

And whether the bumpers meet or not is irrelevant. What saves your life in an accident is crumple zones increasing the delta t of the impact. Bumpers after 5 mph do nothing. You want to lengthen the time of the impact in order to decrease the negative acceleration which decreases the force of the accident.

Of all the stunt drivers I have witnessed while driving on the highways, not one has been in a pickup truck. They are usually high performance cars, sedans, tuners that go blowing by me at 200 km/hr like I was standing still. Never a pickup truck. I would wager that if you looked at collision data you'd find that pickup trucks as a whole are the least likely to get in a collision.

 

[SaturnFan]

Pickup trucks are getting larger, creating hazards for other drivers and pedestrians

Pickup trucks have steadily gotten taller, longer and heavier over the past two decades and research shows they could be a hazard for other drivers and pedestrians.

toronto.ctvnews.ca

"When studying the hidden danger of big trucks, Consumer Reports found the height of passenger trucks has increased 11 per cent since 2000 and pickups have become 24 per cent heavier on average from 2000 to 2018.

With that increased heft comes increased dangers as data found big trucks have poorer front sight lines and bigger blind spots that can hide a pedestrian or smaller car right in front.

“Because of their height and long hoods, we found that some trucks had front blind spots 3 metres longer than those in the average sedan and 2 meters longer than in many popular SUVs, which increases the risk of the driver running over someone in front of them that they cannot see,” Keith Barry, Auto Editor with Consumer Reports, told CTV News Toronto."


"A pickup's tall front end and higher bumper are also more likely to cause serious injuries upon impact than the bumper of a lower vehicle and trucks are more likely to push a pedestrian down and run them over.

So why have manufacturers made them so tall?

The makers of RAM trucks declined to comment. Ford and GM told Consumer Reports said the changes were driven by consumer preference and that the big trucks needed larger grilles to support engine cooling.

But there may be another reason—the trucks make automakers a lot of money."

 

[hamermill]

Just made the trip up to Halliburton hauling my Quad in my F150 Raptor. Sitting on my porch having a cold one.

 

[Dirkpit]

Pickups are fine. The assholes that often drive them are not. I’m usually not one to generalize, but if the handful of issues I’ve had with aggressive drivers, whether in my car or on my bike, at least 80% have been with pickup drivers. Always male, between 30-50 years old. Apparently it is some kind of penis substitute for these idiots.

I disagree. I drive a pickup and find the biggest tools on the road drive BMW type cars. They act like they are more important than than everyone else by tailgating, not signaling and changing lanes 6 times in heavy traffic just to gain 1 car length. Just relax….if you’re always late, just try leaving a couple minutes earlier.

 

[y2kmark]

Nothing wrong with pickup trucks or SUVs.

If you put it that way there's nothing wrong with guns either - just the people who use them. I think the thread title saying the trucks themselves are a plague is just a figure of speech...

 

[y2kmark]

The new asshole car.

Thought that was the hummer?...

 

[glamphotographer]

Thought that was the hummer?...

Don't see those any more these days.

 

[lessjamie7]

I did a road trip to Windsor recently and I would have to say that if there was a scourge on the roads it would be tractor-trailers many of which are more than happy to sit in the fast lane and completely jam up traffic. The drivers are the problem everything from the guys texting to the Mad Maxes trying to blast their way around a never-ending obstacle, traffic, the majority of which was tractor-trailers. These vehicles are an epidemic.

LJ

 

[massman]

I disagree. I drive a pickup and find the biggest tools on the road drive BMW type cars. They act like they are more important than than everyone else by tailgating, not signaling and changing lanes 6 times in heavy traffic just to gain 1 car length. Just relax….if you’re always late, just try leaving a couple minutes earlier.

I guess I drive a “bmw type” car, so of course I disagree. Lol. But I know what you mean, some people with fast cars drive very aggressively, and think they are starting in the “fast and the furious “. Sure there are lots of decent safe drivers who use pickups, but I’ll stick with my original statement, the only drivers I’ve experienced who would their vehicle like a weapon, are men 30-50 in (usually black) pickups. As a cyclist, these drivers are a threat to my safety and life.

 

[ziprogers]

Of course I love my pickup trucks. It's the #1 vehicle for millionaires (look it up). I mean, how else am I going to be able to compensate for my tiny penis and inability to stay in a lane, park in the cripple spots, etc. My other car is a BMW, and it has a perfect set of non-functioning turn signals.

'za douche

 

[SaturnFan]

My other car is a BMW, and it has a perfect set of non-functioning turn signals.

Top up the blinker fluid. You don't have to get the expensive stuff from BMW, the Canadian Tire fluid works just as well.

 

[jcpro]

I did a road trip to Windsor recently and I would have to say that if there was a scourge on the roads it would be tractor-trailers many of which are more than happy to sit in the fast lane and completely jam up traffic. The drivers are the problem everything from the guys texting to the Mad Maxes trying to blast their way around a never-ending obstacle, traffic, the majority of which was tractor-trailers. These vehicles are an epidemic.

LJ

When there are more than 2 lanes on the 400 series highways, heavy trucks are prohibited from using the extreme left(passing/fast) lane. What you have actually witnessed were the unintended consequences of the law limiting the speed of heavy trucks to about105 km/h. Depending on the load and the terrain features and the driving style, in many situations, passing becomes difficult and the trucks end up side by side for long stretches, obstructing the faster vehicles behind. You can see that especially clearly in the Eastern parts of the 401 where the highway only has 2 lanes.

 

[chrispalen]

Ever time I gas up at the pump and look at what I have to pay as gas price keeps going up, I can’t help but think how much the truck owners have to pay to fill up. Most truck drivers are only driving as the only person in the truck, even though the truck has 2 rows of seats and can carry 4 to 5 persons. I am guessing each fill up for them at the pump must be close to $100. That is the price of feeling macho I guess.

CP

 

[Bagilson]

Oh for fucks sake, you could write the same thing about people who drive Audis or Beamers. Most drive like douce bags. Most cyclists act like entitled douce bags too. Fuck em all.

 

[Bagilson]

If you put it that way there's nothing wrong with guns either - just the people who use them. I think the thread title saying the trucks themselves are a plague is just a figure of speech...

There is nothing wrong with guns. They are just a tool that implements the will of the one who wields them. Owning a gun should be a right, but existing should be a privilege.