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Comment by SR2Z | Hacker News Reader

You actually are much less likely to die if a small car hits you. If a big car hits you, you're kind of screwed.

With my (admittedly anecdotal) data point of having been hit by a small car while crossing at a crosswalk, this is definitely true. Car drove around 35 mph upon impact. Bounced my posterior right off the front of the car and landed on the windshield - not even a concussion.

Speed is a factor. If you're a pedestrian, and the vehicle traveling at 35mph, the size matters much, much less. You're going for a ride, regardless.

Yes, but the small car will bounce you over the hood and dump you back down again, worse for wear, but presumably alive.

The bigger vehicles slam you down and then drive over you, for a much less pleasant experience.

Or you accelerate to 35 mph basically instantaneously. That's a lot of Gs.

according to the prior poster, they just walk away from all those Gs, unharmed. lol

Getting hit by a Fiat 500 at 35mpg will just have me roll onto the hood, slow my speed, and allow me to either roll over the car or roll off the front again. With most of the initial impact affect my legs and thighs. Getting hit by a Hummer EV will have my head and torso (y'know, the juicy, sensitive bits) getting hit first, with no ability to slow my speed by rolling onto anything, I just get thrown forward into more traffic, or end up underneath the vehicle where my juicy sensitive bits are now able to get run over by a comparative weight of a small elephant.

at 35mph?!?!

You'll be sent into the air. Not 400feet or anything, but you will not simply be rolling gently over the vehicle, then hop off and continue your day.

How high do you think someone can fly without cracking your skull when you land on pavement?

The pedestrian mortality rate for a 35mph collision is 10%.

Where did I say I'd hop off and continue my day?

Where did I say I'd be rolling gently over the vehicle?

I'd much rather have the chance of rolling, flying, or at least something that will allow my body the chance to lose momentum. Rather than within 1 second find my skull under the wheel of a 9,000 lb vehicle.

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