Over the years there has been a very clear trend in the automotive world: that of growth in their measurements and weights. It is easily seen if we compare the first generations of some models with the current ones, which have increased their total length by up to 15%. The issue of size is accentuated in some places such as the United States, where it is beginning to cause concern. There they have discovered that very large cars are allies for some in the event of an accident, but executioners for others many.
In this country the differences are much more noticeable due to the culture and also to different regulations. There it is quite common to see vehicles of more than 3,000 kg circulating, even exceeding that weight for which here in Spain we would need a driving license other than B. The fact is that very large cars have shown that, in the event of an accident, the Mortality rate is halved compared to a compact C-segment vehicle. However, this leaves us with some controversy.
Because it has also been proven that they are also much more dangerous for people traveling in other vehicles. When there is a crash with an exemplary weight difference, the chances of dying are multiplied by seven in the small car. In fact, as the weight of the vehicle increases, so does the risk of other people dying in the event of an accident. It is estimated that for every life saved by the 1% of heavier vehicles, there are More than a dozen lives lost in other cars.
In the United States, that 1% represents vehicles weighing around 3,100 kg and has caused around 37 deaths per 10,000 accidents. That’s a lot more than the 5.7 for medium-weight cars and 2.6 for light-weight cars. It’s striking how the average weight of vehicles varies in different places. While in Japan they weigh 1,200 kg on average (for kei cars) and in Europe they stay at 1,500 kg, in the United States The average exceeds 2,000 kg. Something that is increasing with the arrival of electrification.
It is clear that the laws of physics are cruel and that something had to be done. There was a time when the rise of larger and heavier SUVs was synonymous with an increase in safety. Road deaths fell and larger vehicles demonstrated their level of protection. However, this is not the case when they share the road with smaller ones, which clearly come out at a disadvantage. Unfortunately, There are no simple solutions to this issue and manufacturers do not seem to be going to stop making their cars bigger.
