Title text:
‘They really shouldn’t let those small cars drive in traffic. I worry I’m going to kill someone if I hit one! They should have to drive on the sidewalk, safely out of the way.’
Transcript:
Transcript will show once it’s been added to explainxkcd.com
Source: https://xkcd.com/3167/
All while the subprime delinquency rate is getting worse. Yes, AmeriKa, keep buying those gas guzzling fully loaded behemoths that you can barely afford to insure, fuel up and maintain. Don’t forget to apply for a 96 month car loan.
Oh please do the 50 year mortgage!
Please! Oh pretty please!
The 50 year mortgage is begging for some laughs.
There really is an xkcd for everything.
I ride motorcycles for everyone else’s safety
The thing that really frustrates me is that I can’t buy the car I want. I would like a successor to my Chevy Volt but it’s become very difficult to find a compact hybrid hatchback in the States. It’s basically Prius Prime or bust, and the Prius is not nearly as fun to drive as the Volt.
Yeah. I am getting an Integra.
It’s the only decent hatchback that is sporty that’s left. And it’s not cheap either.
The civic hybrid is really good, it just came out. Much better than the Prius. But there is very limited selection.
May Skeletor suggest: Regulation
regulation is why cars in the USA are so large. all the safety requirements pushed them larger and larger and heavier.
also the chicken tax is why our trucks must be large.
We regulated the safety of the driver with little regard for pedestrians. The solution is regulating what your car does to others in a crash
not USanian but afaik cars got so big over there because trucks (being work vehicles) have less (environmental, safety, …) regulations than cars, that’s why SUVs got so popular, manufacturers pushed them onto public. as long as the base for the vehicle is that of a truck they are legally exempt from many limits.
source: probably “Not Just Bikes” on y*utube idk
EDIT: just read about the chicken tax, interesting…
cars are way bigger than they were 10-20 years ago. My 2017 civic is larger than my 1995 Camry, and not much smaller than my 1989 4Runner. Mostly because of safety features. My 1995 didn’t have massive crumple zones and 20 air bags. it had 1 airbag.
Smaller modern cars still have the same safety features, marketing has found the best way to make consumers want new and more expensive cars through the idea of big car=safe, which only becomes true if the other car involved in a crash is also big, but just like the comic shows, it becomes an arms race where it only increases the danger, as a bigger car also has bigger inertia, so a crash at the same speed has drastic different energy transference.
people like bigger cars for many other reasons.
they are more comfortable. they are safer, they fit more stuff. they have more features than smaller cars. they are often quieter.
and if you have a family you need a larger vehicle to fit kids and pets.
@TubularTittyFrog @Benchamoneh How do you explain the existence of the Honda Fit and Toyota Corolla on American roads (curb weights: 2,381lbs and 2800lbs)?
We like big cars and we can not lie
You other libertarians can’t deny
That when a car pulls up with a itty-bitty MPG
and a 4 ton weight in your face, we get sprung.those cars are large compared to what japan/europe drives. and huge compared to a compact car from the 90s.
The Honda fit hasn’t been sold for several years anyway. The fit was ended in 2020. A 2026 corolla is 3000lbs, and the same size as Camry was 10 years ago.
I think Europe might prove you wrong
Will it? Modern small cars are huge compared to old small cars in Europe too. Because of crumple zones and safety equipment. You used to be able to get a VW Golf that was 3.7 meters long and weighed like 800 kilos. Same car now starts at nearly 4.3 meters and over 1.2 tons.
the cars they have in europe/asia are illegal here.
hence why you can only import them when they are 20+ years old.
You can’t sell/make Kei size vehicles here.
We’re in the “I need to make my headlights brighter than the sun phase”. It’s just before the spike club panel
Just a few thousand truck flipping cars on the road might be a good start
That has traffic-flipping vibes of the upgraded Agency Supercar from the game Crackdown. I like.
What’s the Lancia logo doing on there?
Lancia Stratos Zero was kinda similar.
Not to speak of the Lancia Stratos, the original cheese wedge:
That one apparently did well in rally, so I have trouble seeing it as a ‘hugging the ground’ supercar. Even though Porsches and Lambos also were in rally.
It’s a bit of a misconception. Soft-sprung cars can be hella fast on roads.
But modern supercars are sprung so slow for downforce, to try to turn their bottoms into vacuum cleaners. But (outside of racetracks) its mostly for show and ‘sporty feel,’ as this downforce doesn’t really kick in till like 90mph+. In fact, many racecars are faster around hairpins when sprung looser and higher.
Idk I just hot linked some random image on the internet
I don’t know where that’s from, but it kinda has Lancia Stratos concept vibes to me.
This could be solved so many different ways.
The most obvious is getting rid of the stupid CAFE regulations and Chicken tax that basically incentivise the fuck out of making these monstrosities.
The others are less likely to be done in a country like the USA with its 2 party system where the options are conservatism and fascist conservatism.
Or just apply the CAFE standards to all vehicles equally, don’t create loopholes that enable this kind of shit.
Im sick and tired of this bullshit claim that we can only choose beyween conservatism and fascism. This completely overlooks the Christian fascist theocratic option that is also available to those who really love “freedom”.
deleted by creator
The number of massive trucks I see without a speck of dirt in the bed that are used mainly for commuting and groceries is pathetic.
And with the short box option, so you can’t fit 4x8 sheets of stuff in there anyway. Better off with a minivan.
I think there have been occasions where I have passed a truck stopped at a red light on my bike, while carrying more groceries or other materials than they have in their entire backseat and bed.
If I could have a Fully electric mid 90s chevy S10 style pickup with modern safety features and no surveillance I would be sooooo happy. But no, if I want a truck I can buy old as fuck or get a wanktank. Closest option to what I want in the US currently is a Ford Maverick (which is literally just a rebadged explorer sport trac for the modern age) but that would mean supporting Ford, and like, fuck Ford.
Same, I recently looked for vehicles and this was an option we desperately wanted. We have a great ev now that’s tiny and efficient, but a small truck would have been great
What’s crazy (and sucks) is they DID have an EV S10 from the mid 90’s (hence why it sucks: it’s exactly what you want, but they killed it)
Of course it doesn’t have the modern safety features, but I bet you could still find one if you’re determined enough! Although it’s possible you already knew this 😉
Interesting to read that and see how far we’ve come with EVs and charging.
Even crazier to think how far we could’ve been if they didn’t kill all of these projects as soon as they could!
I had no idea, I’ll have a to keep an eye out for those 👀
Glad I could open your eyes! I have no idea how rare they are so it’s possible you’ll never see one (or you’ll have to build one yourself maybe?)
I only heard about them a day or two before commenting because of the recent EV1 auction! Turns out Jared from The Questionable Garage (formerly Wrench Every Day) got one driving again, which he brought up in his video talking about the EV1 auction
You’re basically asking for what slate promises to be.
Also, you totally didn’t say it, but I feel like whining about it so: A lot of people think that the infotainment in cars could be stripped out to lower the price, but a big touch screen is actually very cheap and it might even be more expensive to have a bunch of bespoke buttons per model, so really, the idea of a gutted out vehicle wouldn’t save any money. The only actual money savers would be in areas like the suspension, build quality, engine size, that sort of thing.
Perhaps, but having tactile options like buttons and dials is considerably safer as the ui can’t change and you can keep your eyes on the road
Correct me if I’m wrong, is Slate not Amazon backed? No judgement either way, I just know that rubs some lemmings the wrong way
My understanding that the “Amazon backed” was a comparatively small portion of the funding, and largely to generate an air of legitimacy for the normies.
Absolutely fair, the more I know. Thanks for the clarification!
Oh don’t worry, it isn’t! Its just backed by Jeff Bezos himself…
Yeah…
This world sucks, and sometimes you gotta make some shitty pragmatic choices. I would judge someone harshly for a Tesla but less so for Slate given that 1. Jeff isn’t so openly racist so much as being a greedy bastard of a human being, and 2. Slate is backed by him but not fully owned by him.
Ah the fun of the world we live in…
Yeah 100%, I’m fully on board with your reasoning. I’m continuously arguing with myself over a Bronco or a Tacoma (only modern backcontry capable vehicles with manuals I’m aware of), so I do NOT have a moral high ground here haha
You don’t need software developers for a button
While you do not need software devs for a button, once you have enough buttons doing enough things controlling them with a computer becomes much easier than controlling them using mechanical circuitry. This is the whole reason for SBCs like the Arduino, so people can make the transitionary step between “my project is simple enough to have physical logic built into it” and “my project is so complex it no longer makes sense for me to hand build the logic”
If you haven’t messed with physical logic gates before, I recommend it! If you don’t have a physical workspace to do it in, Minecraft actually Makes a ‘great’ sandbox for playing with logic circuits. Superflat Creative worlds are the bomb for that.
Start with a simple yes gate, then learn a not gate, then an And, then an Or, and build up from there!
You’ll find very quickly that once you need persistence involved, projects with physical logic can scale massively with each additional bit of storage added. Doing something with that storage? Good luck! As a result, nowadays we pay someone for a tiny computer they already made, and program it to make our buttons do stuff, instead of just having the buttons do stuff directly.
Edit: removed a word, analog does not mean mechanical, mea culpa.
Depends on how the button works
You need someone to figure out how to get the car to interpret that button press. Whether it’s an electrical engineer or a dev doesn’t make too much difference to the argument.
the software route actually makes a bit more sense at scale, as you can abstract all the same functions into the car’s computer regardless of what human interface device is activating that function.
I think Toyota just teased an EV Hilux
Someone pointed out the shape is very Tacoma-esque, so maybe an EV Toyota quarter ton is on the way
So much this. I can somewhat forgive a stupid sized truck if it was used for work or some kind of off roading.
It’s become a wealth/status symbol for people who don’t like the more traditional bougie shit. Lets them still delude themselves into thinking they’re salt of the earth types.
I can afford for 2/3 of my vehicle to be functionally useless! Dohohohoho!
A wealth symbol you can finance for 84 months 🤣
t’s become a wealth/status symbol for people who don’t like the more traditional bougie shit
It’s because they are actual luxury vehicles. Get inside one of the new ones, and it’s basically what you would imagine a lexus or lincoln would be like. All the fanciness, all the nifty little features… Finding one that is actually made to ‘work’ is hard.
Lucky! I’d love to live somewhere where that was a SMALL number
Just gonna keep on posting this
“Your honor, I got the M1 because it was safer than an F150 in my neighborhood with lots of small children.”
“And here is the data to prove it.”
audience gasps
I’ve driven a Volvo L120H. It had. A pretty great visibility forward, better than my own car (Peugeot 108) lol. But that’s due to sitting so high up and only when I took the front loader off. Backwards it had a camera, which I was so jelly of when backing
I should get an M1 Abrams and write off as a business expense
I remember hearing years ago how the M1 Abrams was a battlefield domination machine that could only be killed by another M1. That was clearly propaganda. Those overweight, overpriced pieces of shit got lit the fuck up after being shipped to Ukraine.
Russian invasion of ukraine has been the only war in quite a long time where a major power has been fighting against a major power. most other conflicts in many decades have been asymmetrical warfare/symmetrical warfare between outdated militaries. Ukraine has shown that drones are the new thing in warfare, they provide excellent intel, cheap short range pinpoint accurate light artillery. unmatched spotting for heavier artillery and with a bit more expense long range strategic strikes are also possible. With drone warfare MBTs seem to be mostly just the juiciest of targets.
Where previously M1 could be resistant to most attacks, now with drone spotting a direct hit with guided shells can score a direct hit of 155mm shell on top armour of tanks.
It would probably be quieter than any of the diesel pickup trucks on the road too!
A 0.2m tall 3 year old??nope, reading comprehension, that’s distance
Fucking with a coworker back in the day who drove a monster SUV with zero need. I don’t noramlly make judgement on that but I knew the family well. Her husband had a nice truck and their one kid was adult and moved out.
“I drive it because it’s safer.”
“So you’re happy to kill someone in a tiny car like mine, as long as you’re OK?”
<stares motherfuckerly>
“Aren’t you Christian? What do you figure Jesus would say about that?”
“Get out of my office Shalafi.”
🤷🏻
It bugs me when people refuse to acknowledge they’re being a selfish prick. At least have the strength of character to look someone in the eye and say “Yes, I’d rather you die than me”. Fucking cowards.
Old joke, but Jesus drove a Honda sedan.
He and his disciples were together in one Accord.
According to The Simpsons, it was blue.
Maybe he doesn’t mention it cause it’s all dinged up since he’s shit at parking. Thinking you’re a god means fuck off fuck off in parallel
John 10:18:
“No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father”.
He didnt just drive it, he raced it, using NOS given to him by god!
It isn’t safer if all of the other drivers are also in massive suvs.
There’s also humans in the world. Not just drivers.
I’m not even against large vehicles as there are legit use cases for them. I just think they should cost more, be taxed more, and be forbidden to park in certain areas.
Should have to register them against a business or something that is licensed for truck use… Then let other people rent them.
I just think they should cost more, be taxed more, and be forbidden to park in certain areas.
This won’t help with rich assholes who want to drive around an F-950 or whatever, but will make groceries more expensive.
What really needs to happen is to mandate a special license to drive anything over like 2500 kg, and only be able to register it to a business with a valid use-case. To get a “small car” license (B-type), you have to pass an easy theory exam and drive around a tiny sedan around a city for 30 minutes (at least in europe). Trucks have different driving characteristics and are way more dangerous, so the driving tests should be way more difficult too.
Also, maybe this?
Oh, also, ban private cars in cities. Like, completely. Cars are so dangerous that their amount in populated areas needs to be kept to an absolute minimum.
They already cost more and considering they have worse gas mileage, they paying more taxes on fuel as well.
I agree with the parking though, back of the lot with ya.
in reality most (all?) states in the US don’t charge progressively more for vehicle registration based on weight, and even when they do, the thresholds are really high. So a F-150 weighing over 5000 lbs may pay the same as a Honda Civic weighing half of that.
Right but the comment you’re replying to is talking about sticker price and gas, not registration.
the original (my) comment mentions tax
Which they already pay, the sales tax would be higher and they’re paying more in gas taxes.
Yeah, but I’m with the OP here. It should cost significantly more tax wise than it does to disincentivize it
and yet, people keep buying these things to buy groceries and drive on asphalt, so just fuel inefficiency is clearly not enough
the average carpayment is 750 new, 500 used. I bought a new car last year and my payment is $300. technically i could afford like a $1000 payment.
americans often pay like 30%+ of their income to cars. And yes, they actively choose to do this. Nobody is forcing them to buy a 60K F150 over a 30K sedan.
Texas used to, maybe still does. You made me try to look it up and couldn’t find a simple source. Plenty of states use MRSP or some measure of the vehicle’s value.
Back in the day (Tulsa, OK) my friend had a 2-ton dump truck with antique tags (over 25-yo), paid $20. Meanwhile, someone buying a super-light Corvette was paying $650. (early 90s money)
I say go on weight, maybe some factoring of value. Registration fees are paying for roads, if your monster vehicle is doing more damage, you pay more.
Yeah my state taxes you based on MSRP too. $25 per $1000 of value, 10% of MSRP value after 5 years.
So if your MSRP was 50K, it’s $125 forever.
Registration fees are paying for roads,
Fuel taxes are paying for roads.
Registration fees are paying for roads,
Fuel taxes are paying for roads.
The F350 is the smallest vehicle where they charge by weight. Unfortunately they don’t check for how much you use it, so for the 6 times a year I use mine I’m paying $.10/mile - while someone else who uses it for hauling as a job is paying $.01/mile.
That’s your state. Just looked and registration fees and tags are all over the place.
True, but as a general rule until you get to the F350 class or higher states don’t charge that extra tax.
If they’re EVs they’re heavier, causing more road wear, and don’t pay gas taxes
Except in NJ where you get raked over the coals for your yearly car tax… errr… “registration”.
It’s the damnest thing; they seem to lose my vehicle registration every year but my marriage registration is good indefinitely.
The higher ev registration fee is to offset the fact that you pay no gas tax which is the main source of paying for roads.
INTRODUCING…GRAVE DIGGER!!!
Oh he’s about to flip over.
You’ve fallen for one of the classic blunders!
i like fire truck and monster truck. walter
Yep. And now we have little old ladies, who should’ve had their license yanked years ago, driving 4 ton trucks to get groceries.
While net even being able to see over the steering wheel.
C’mon! I’m in the South and never saw some shit like that. Spent 6-months loading cars at Lowe’s, not one elderly person in a monster truck. Old dude’s like me stick to “normal” pickups like my 2004 F150.
