Thread: 55.2-59 New versus old safety
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Old 10-31-2020, 07:05 PM   #16
1project2many
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Lakes Region NH
Posts: 3,149
Re: New versus old safety

Wow. This has become pretty well charged up. I was only hoping this thread could be a source for ideas on how to make a build safer for those who want to do it.

I manage a fleet of vehicles that carries passengers. As a group, drivers in this industry are some of the safest out there. Our drivers tend to be above average for the industry so they're pretty safe. But we still have accidents involving other drivers doing stupid things.

Anyone who has Hagerty Insurance gets low rates because Hagerty has shown that as a group people with classic vehicles are more likely to take care of their vehicles and are less likely to get in accidents. They have proven we are generally safer than the average driver and we are profitable to insure. Still, Hagerty does publish stories regularly about losses that include accidents while the vehicle is on the road being driven. Many involve the other driver being at fault.

It is, imo, impossible to rule out accidents just because we care about our vehicles and because we are more alert and more cautious drivers. 90% of American drivers believe they are better drivers than 90% of American drivers. But the math doesn't work. Never understimate the power of stupid people in large numbers carrying highly distracting devices to ruin your day.

I live in New Hampshire by choice. Among other unique or uncommon freedoms, I think this is the only state that does not require seat belts. I moved here from Montana. When I lived there it was the only state that let the driver choose their own maximum safe speed on the highway. I believe in the right to make choices about safety, providing we aren't endangering someone else, and the right to suffer the consequences if we choose incorrectly. Some of us learn good lessons the hard way.

At some point it might be nice to create a thread of safety improvements and ideas for folks looking to improve the old trucks. There's really very little out there to help if you want to install seat belts safely, or to improve braking without making a vehicle unsafe. We have paint threads, wheel threads, stance threads, engine choice threads, even a thread about using vinyl decals instead of real emblems. Why not safety improvements?
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