A 7,000-Pound Car Smashed Through a Guardrail. That’s Bad News for All of Us.

There was a discussion a couple of years ago around gasoline taxes and how they are supposed to pay for roadway maintenance. The question came up about EVs. There were discussions about how to include EVs in the taxation system so they would pay for their fair share of the road. One of the options was to impose a tax attached to your vehicle registration based upon the weight of the vehicle. The greater the weight, the more wear and tear it produces on the road surface. This might be one solution to the barrier problem, namely moving the extra cost to the reason for the extra cost.

Yeah well let's quit making 7000 pound consumer vehicles. Small EVs would be more efficient and better for the environment because they need less materials to build and and less energy to recharge.

Tldr most guard rails are designed to stop vehicles under 5000lbs. Passenger vehicles are starting to exceed that, and EVs can weight 30% more than ICE vehicles.

That's 3175 kg for non-free folk. My car has around 1600 kg. 7k pound car is a fat fat cow.

Just get an even bigger car, it will keep you safe from those.

We just need to not have these big ass trucks for the general public. You don’t need a ford 350 with rims jacked up to show you have money. You are a pavement princess.

7000 Pounds is 3.2 Tons (metric)

3.2 Tons

geez, i wonder why these guardrails wouldn't work on a fucking Truck

This becomes a self-reinforcing cycle. If there are 7000lb passenger trucks on the highway around my compact car, I maybe start wanting to get a larger vehicle myself to protect myself from the idiots who drive them.

My first car had a curb weight of 2400 lbs. It's absurd how fucking huge these planet-destroying, environment destroying, life destroying monstrosities have become.

Simple, if you buy a car that's too heavy for the existing infrastructure, you either pay for the improved infrastructure or take the risk yourself. The minivan that I drive the kids in is only 4,300 lb. If you're driving something heavier than that then, best of luck. I expect that if I'm driving a camper, and I fall off the road, I'm just done. Game over.

I don't expect infrastructure to adapt to the minority. That's not what it's for.

But muh big truck

"The goliath-like GMC Hummer EV weighs a staggering 9,083 pounds, 2 tons more than a gas-guzzling H3."

I’m confused 'Murica, do you want freedom or not?

Okay this makes no sense. What about semi trucks or anything commercial? Did we decide decades ago that they can just fuck off and die?

that's really interesting! I never really thought about how much weight the EVs haul around - and i imagine that the NTSB or whomever is actually responsible for guard rails didnt either. of course, guard rails dont do much for delivery vans or semi trucks - those both weigh in excess of 10,000 lbs. perhaps they're not considered due to commercial vehicle regulations?

Stupid post. 60,000 lb semi laughs.

Seems like we need some regulation for maximum car weight to be. It's a safety thing now

Oooohh yeeeaaaahhhh!!!!

Seems like we need some regulation for maximum car weight to be. It's a safety thing now

Natural selection

Sounds like A Nice Morning Drive. As noted in the archived page above, that story inspired the song Red Barchetta by the band Rush.

Sounds only bad for people driving obese cars, which is good from my perspective.

that thumbnail photo looks a lot like the guardrail on lifeguard road La Jolla farms Blacks Beach overlook switchback trail

If you want society to rely less on cars stop subsidizing roads.

…and yet I don’t feel even a bit sad. What could this mean ?

Apparently the author (and some of you as well) haven't heard about 80,000lb tractor trailers...

What a load of shit. Pretty sure roads are already used by many vehicles of Greater mass than 7000lbs. Trucks. Buses. Coaches.