Doug, one reason for them being newer is that compared to the UK, salaries are
higher and car are far cheaper, leading of course to the ability to afford a
newer car for a higher percentage of the population. Then with the higher
population, there then becomes the greater number and advantages of greater
mass production compared to the UK auto industry.
But I still see a lot of "death traps" on the roads here - probably the
collisions with the newer cars with their better satefy features and the higher
numbers works out better. I will admit that the US had airbags and high level
brake lights in general production way before I saw them in Europe. I used to
come to the US several time a year before I moved here.
That and unleaded was more prominent here as well, years before the UK.
Just as a side note, the driving on non-freeway roads here is much less
aggressive than in the UK for example. Most folks appear to have forgotten how
to overtake a vehicle travelling slower in front of them.
Alan
Original Message:
-----------------
From: Douglas Braun & Nadia Papakonstantinou dougnad@bellatlantic.net
Date: Mon, 03 Jul 2000 13:12:03 -0400
Subject: Re: MOT Time...
At 12:16 PM 7/3/00 -0400, alemen@pop.ftconnect.com wrote:
>I was shocked to find that in my area (Portland, OR) all they did was
>emissions testing. Even more shocked to find that outside the area there was
>nothing. And all local standards, nothing federally mandated. Of course given
>the volume of the number of cars it would be almost impossible to impose such
>as thing as the MOT here. Also given the nature of the country it would also
>be vehemently opposed as it would affect peoples rights - who cares about
>safety. (Note that thsi is a personal observation and does not mean that those
>of you on the list think this way, in fact I hope most of you would put safety
>first). Hey think of it, a US MOT test - a big new industry, how many jobs
>would it create, how many cars would have to be fixed up, look at the income
>and parts potential for the auto industry.
I think that one of the reasons for the laxness here is that
mechanical problems are responsible for a fairly small number of driving
deaths and injuries. I am sure that the DOT or NHTSA policymaking
people, who keep statistics on accidents, have concluded that new
vehicle standards, such as mandatory airbags, are more effective
at reducing the death/injury rate. One reason for this is that
cards in the USA tend to be newer than in other countries.
One document that may be worthwhile reading is:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/ncsa/pdf/TSF97.pdf
Doug Braun
'72 Spit
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