THE biggest danger to children is cars. Not pit bulls or crazy people. Gigantic cars that are so big that the driver cannot see out of them in front of their own bumper.
Everything else is not really worth the effort in comparison.
Everything else is not really worth the effort in comparison.
Under these conditions, I don't understand why it matters how big the car is. Teach your children not to cross the road.
I spent hours roaming the streets on my bike as a kid in Germany, now I hear my coworkers saying things like "I don't leave my 10 year old unsupervised for more than 10 minutes. If I have to go somewhere, he's coming with me."
It leaves me flabbergasted.
Cars cross the sidewalk.
To me, your claim rings somewhat false. I can think of many children that had injuries of all kinds but only know of one who was hit by a car--a car that was a small sedan and didn't have any issue seeing the pedestrian because it was "too tall".
Cars are weapons and should be severely limited on public roads, especially in terms of speed (all cars should have speed governors).
Of course it can be done and happens every day. But it is a horrible example for anything family related.
EDIT: Okay, arguably some places like maybe the Netherlands (which has excellent anti-car infra) are better, but I've seen it all at this point and I am convinced NYC is still the best, even though there are too many cars and too much surface area is dedicated to cars.
Note: The infrastructure in the Netherlands is not anti-car. It's not an xor thing!
Pedestrians, Bikes, Trains, Ships, and Cars. The Netherlands gives a lot of love to infrastructure for all modes of mobility.
But... people do drive American trucks like that out in the countryside as utility vehicles. Where there's a bit of room to maneuver, it can be done.
And of course, outside Amsterdam city center: you've got all-paved-roads even in the countryside (well maintained with few potholes), reasonable speed limits, highways that stay dry even when it rains, traffic lights that let you through the moment they see you coming (at an empty intersection at least), traffic jam detector systems, highway entrances and exits that you can take on cruise control -as opposed to trying to kill you- (I'm looking at you, Germany ;-) ), and much much more!
* ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8RRE2rDw4k "The Best Country in the World for Drivers" )
* https://youtu.be/SDXB0CY2tSQ?t=437 (business parks... people in the comments were kind of riled up about this particular traffic light. Would work fine with an F150 ;-) )
The 2 best selling vehicle models in the USA are the Ford F-series and Chevy equivalent (Silverado), according to some sources[1][2]. I agree they're absurd for what are effectively overpowered wheelchairs that make you fat and reduce your IQ[3], but it is what it is.
[1]: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/g43553191/bestselling-cars...
[2]: https://www.edmunds.com/most-popular-cars/
[3]: https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/air-pollution-li...
Thoughts and posts like yours are why conservative popularity is increasing, why so hostile?
Sorry for being blunt, but where you grew up brainwashed you. Or you are young and very naive or like to speak in hyperbole.
The most sold vehicle in the US is being used for work purposes and has been since the truck was invented. There are many people that drive trucks outside of work, but you are very misinformed.
I lived in NYC for 20+ years without a car. On a hot summer night walking close to Holland tunnel brought rage to me as well. Hopefully the much needed congestion pricing will help.
Cars are obviously not weapons, they are vehicles. The definition of weapon is something which primary use case is to kill or maim. The primary use case of a car is transportation.
Do you say that a pencil is a weapon? You could stab yourself by accident with a pencil.
Cars not only have the direct immediate effect as weapons (i.e., using them to drive into/over people), but they also have significant second and third order effects such as the pollution from emissions, tires, production and supply chains, destruction of the environment from road construction, cement production emissions, and so on and so forth. There are also the health effects of people forgetting how to use their bodies to move themselves, being isolated inside an insulated box such that nobody interacts with those around them, which leads people to be hostile, aggressive, violent, and so on.
Cars are weapons and they're killing us.