The purchase of a new pickup truck is a big deal.
The front end of the new GMC Yukon. For reference, I'm 6'1". The top of the hood is nearly up to my shoulders. pic.twitter.com/Ls7HVzif9N
— AJ LaTrace (@ajlatrace) February 19, 2022
You're making an announcement whether you bought a Sierra, which the tweeter thought he was standing next to, or a Ram, which he thought he was standing next to, or a Jeep Gladiator, which he thought he was standing next to, or any other megatruck or monster SUV. It's not the announcement you think it is. It is not about your wealth or your strength. You have said that you don't care if you accidentally kill a stranger. I'm cool with someone else dying because of a decision I made.
I'm not saying you're a murderer if you own a big truck. I'm saying you're a manslaughterer. It won't be because you planned it. You will be horrified, it will happen by accident. The person you kill won't be a jerk. They won't deserve it. There is a good chance it will be a toddler.
Does this make you feel bad? It should!
Your giant car is dangerous to pedestrians. A heavier car is more likely to kill a pedestrian. According to Consumer Reports, new pickup trucks weigh 24 percent more than they did in 2000, and big cars weigh 4,000 pounds or more. The new generation of electric vehicles, like the Hummer EV, which has immense batteries, weighs more than 9,000 pounds. You can nail someone with one of those. They will need to pry them off the road with a crowbar.
The tall car makes it more dangerous. It is more likely that a pedestrian will be struck in the head by a collision if the grille is more than 50 inches off the ground. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, big trucks are more likely to push a pedestrian under the tires. Are you a big fan of those big, road-handling tires? They will do a great job handling a middle schooler's torso.
You say I'm a good driver. That's great! The act of driving a big truck makes you a less safe driver. According to Consumer Reports, pickup and the like perform worse than other cars in emergency handling and braking tests. Automatic braking and pedestrian detection are advanced safety features that trucks are less likely to be sold with.
You might not be able to see a pedestrian, a whole-ass Corvette, or half a kindergarten class when you drive a tall grille. Kids are the most vulnerable to that blind spot, because they are the ones who are most likely to be killed in a driveway or parking lot. The advocacy group KidsAndCars.org says that 80% of deaths since 1990 involved a truck, van, or SUV. Maybe you think that if you run over a kid, it won't be yours. It will probably be your child. It is a parent or close relative behind the wheel in 70% of fatal frontovers.
Good luck to the driver of that Corvette if you collide with it in your blind spot. People in other cars are more likely to be killed if they are hit by a truck. I bet you feel a lot safer in your tank. Everyone around you is in danger. According to the IIHS, your pickup truck is more likely to kill another driver than other types of cars. Suvs are only 28 percent more likely to kill people in other cars. It was comforting!
It is vastly more likely to kill anyone if you buy a car that makes it more difficult to avoid a collision and doesn't allow you to see what's in front of you. What are you getting? If you are like the vast majority of drivers, a vehicle that is way more car than you actually need is a vehicle. According to the automotive research firm Strategic Vision, only a quarter of truck owners use their trucks more than once a year. About 30 percent of truck owners go off-road more than once a year. 35 percent of truck owners never put anything in their truck beds.
I know you are not alone. They are an ever-growing part of the U.S. automobile market. The F-150, the Ram, and the Silverado were the top selling cars in America last year. A full- or mid-sized truck is one of the most popular new vehicles in America. Sales of sedans are falling off a cliff. Our roads are getting more and more dangerous. How long before your new truck adds to the total?
You have to drive a lot. America has been designed for driving and driving long distances. You will need to be behind the wheel a lot until that changes. Why not take that time behind the wheel of a SUV? I'm willing to allow it to be a lighter, smaller, and less deadly middle ground in the size wars. You would still be putting others at risk when you drive, but at least you would have made a gesture to show you care. The side benefit is that most SUVs don't cost as much as the Sierra does. Have you tried a sedan or e-bike?
I get that some people are contractors, farmers, or boat-haulers, as tough as the guys in ads for big pickup trucks. Great. I suppose you should get the giant pickup. Although you could always buy a van, which has better sightlines, it is cheaper.
The people who live in the suburbs don't tow or go off-roading or haul around plywood. The drivers who just love the feeling of being way up off the ground, of having a front end that intimidates other cars, of being big? Remember this. You have made a choice, and that choice tells your community that you are comfortable killing someone. How will you feel on the day?
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