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/
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.
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…
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.”
🤷🏻
Old joke, but Jesus drove a Honda sedan.
He and his disciples were together in one Accord.
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 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.
It isn’t safer if all of the other drivers are also in massive suvs.
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 should get an M1 Abrams and write off as a business expense
It would probably be quieter than any of the diesel pickup trucks on the road too!
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.
Just a few thousand truck flipping cars on the road might be a good start
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
and yet, people keep buying these things to buy groceries and drive on asphalt, so just fuel inefficiency is clearly not enough
Yeah, but I’m with the OP here. It should cost significantly more tax wise than it does to disincentivize it
