SUVs are probably going to outsell regular cars in a few decades, and a feeling of safety is a big part of their appeal. Riding higher than the "plebs" in a heavier vehicle provides a tremendous sense of security.
However, there's one obvious disadvantage with having more mass higher up in a vehicle, and that's stability. We're not talking about the moose test, though SUVs aren't good at that either. No, the rollover risk is also present in a crash.
On numerous occasions, we've seen SUVs flipping over at pedestrian speeds in road rage incidents. However, they are also problematic in side-impact crashes, otherwise known as T-boning. Sounds delicious!
This dashcam video, which is of obvious Russian origin, shows a Mitsubishi Outlander being hit side-on by a taxi. Is that some kind of Hyundai? Anyway, the make of the model doesn't matter.
What does matter is that even though both cars are going relatively slowly and probably within the speed limit, the Japanese SUV immediately flips over. A normal car wouldn't have rolled on its roof, or it wouldn't have done it with such ferocity. No amount of electronic stability control can save it.
Even though the accident is non-fatal, the concern of the people gathered around the wreck suggests it caused some injuries.
As for who is to blame, we think the taxi driver ran a red light. But let's just add that Russian roads generally look a little unsafe, with too many left turns allowed in busy intersections.
You have to feel sorry for the guy in the Mitsubishi, as he seems to be driving quite slowly. However, he should have seen the taxi, which had no business that close to the intersection. You really couldn't ask for more visibility - no parked cars, no bad weather, nothing.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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