If your decapitator truck is all show and no-go off road, lower it back to legal levels. There should be a federal mandate of bumper height requirements for all trucks and SUVs. The safety hazard is absolutely unacceptable. They are dangerous, unnecessary and there needs to be a change.
Here is what I propose: Full-size pick-up trucks that are lifted must have limited-use only licenses. In other words, only to be driven to shows or recreational areas for off-road use only. Otherwise it is a ticketable offense with a verified correction and points on the license. Lifts can only be installed on trucks licensed as such. Small, light trucks may be lifted to a federally mandated level and have standard registrations. These small trucks include the Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma, etc. Remember, driving is a privilege, not a right.
What about trucks used for work? Don't they need to sit up high? No, the height of trucks sold by the manufacturers is plenty sufficient. I challenge you to find any corporate fleet owned trucks on construction or off-road sites across the country that have been lifted higher than stock out of the job requirement. Even then that can be a special application with associated insurance ramifications.
Besides the fact they are wasting even more gas sitting up in the air so high, the bumpers and mass sit so high that they are major safety hazards to every other passenger vehicle on the road. Whether front, rear or the sides, the fatality rates skyrocket. The roll-over risk increases significantly as well.
I don't trust the safe driving factor of lifted trucks, or the driving public in general like many of us, so that was one reason I purposely waited on the model car I ordered to have side-impact air bags. vs. one that was available sooner without. A small step, but I felt a smart one.
What sets the trucks apart that are actually used off road for 4-wheeling vs. these street-queen compensators? They tend to be lighter, more compact models that are suitable for climbing over obstacles and fitting between tight spaces. The attached photo is a perfect example and it even has rear mudflaps. My nephews Mike and Jesse often go off road in their trucks, that is one of them. Is this one too high? To be honest I don't know, but you get the idea.
You don't like what I'm saying because you're a safe driver and you sit 5 feet above the rest of us and have no problem with that. Tell you what, when you have to take emergency maneuvers in your 5,000lb behemoth, I sure don't want to be near you where you might roll onto me, nor get rear ended because your braking distance increased 20ft-30ft or more from 70mph.
Suppose someone pulls out in front of your or runs a red light? Although they made a stupid decision, they don't deserve to die for it.
What about those huge, massively heavy semi tractor-trailers? Let me share a story with you. I witnessed a large dump-truck go through an intersection on a yellow light. Unfortunately a 70's era Oldsmobile Cutlass decided to turn in front of it. The dump truck broadsided it so hard it completely stopped the direction of travel of the Cutlass and proceeded to push it down the street, blowing out tires and breaking axles. When it finally stopped, the entire side of the car between the wheels was crushed inward. But five teenagers climbed out of that car with no or few minor injuries (bruises). If that dump truck was a lifted full-size pickup or SUV, there would have been multiple fatalities because it would have cleared the frame and door structures and entered into the passenger compartment easily. The dump-truck hit the body mass of the Cutlass, rather than the weaker support structures of the roof.
Quite frankly, you are a hazard and I urge police to keep their measuring sticks handy and the federal government to mandate a standard for all states. This won't ruin your fun, but it will stop your posing which puts you, and the rest of us, at risk.
Here is what I propose: Full-size pick-up trucks that are lifted must have limited-use only licenses. In other words, only to be driven to shows or recreational areas for off-road use only. Otherwise it is a ticketable offense with a verified correction and points on the license. Lifts can only be installed on trucks licensed as such. Small, light trucks may be lifted to a federally mandated level and have standard registrations. These small trucks include the Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma, etc. Remember, driving is a privilege, not a right.
What about trucks used for work? Don't they need to sit up high? No, the height of trucks sold by the manufacturers is plenty sufficient. I challenge you to find any corporate fleet owned trucks on construction or off-road sites across the country that have been lifted higher than stock out of the job requirement. Even then that can be a special application with associated insurance ramifications.
Besides the fact they are wasting even more gas sitting up in the air so high, the bumpers and mass sit so high that they are major safety hazards to every other passenger vehicle on the road. Whether front, rear or the sides, the fatality rates skyrocket. The roll-over risk increases significantly as well.
I don't trust the safe driving factor of lifted trucks, or the driving public in general like many of us, so that was one reason I purposely waited on the model car I ordered to have side-impact air bags. vs. one that was available sooner without. A small step, but I felt a smart one.
What sets the trucks apart that are actually used off road for 4-wheeling vs. these street-queen compensators? They tend to be lighter, more compact models that are suitable for climbing over obstacles and fitting between tight spaces. The attached photo is a perfect example and it even has rear mudflaps. My nephews Mike and Jesse often go off road in their trucks, that is one of them. Is this one too high? To be honest I don't know, but you get the idea.
You don't like what I'm saying because you're a safe driver and you sit 5 feet above the rest of us and have no problem with that. Tell you what, when you have to take emergency maneuvers in your 5,000lb behemoth, I sure don't want to be near you where you might roll onto me, nor get rear ended because your braking distance increased 20ft-30ft or more from 70mph.
Suppose someone pulls out in front of your or runs a red light? Although they made a stupid decision, they don't deserve to die for it.
What about those huge, massively heavy semi tractor-trailers? Let me share a story with you. I witnessed a large dump-truck go through an intersection on a yellow light. Unfortunately a 70's era Oldsmobile Cutlass decided to turn in front of it. The dump truck broadsided it so hard it completely stopped the direction of travel of the Cutlass and proceeded to push it down the street, blowing out tires and breaking axles. When it finally stopped, the entire side of the car between the wheels was crushed inward. But five teenagers climbed out of that car with no or few minor injuries (bruises). If that dump truck was a lifted full-size pickup or SUV, there would have been multiple fatalities because it would have cleared the frame and door structures and entered into the passenger compartment easily. The dump-truck hit the body mass of the Cutlass, rather than the weaker support structures of the roof.
Quite frankly, you are a hazard and I urge police to keep their measuring sticks handy and the federal government to mandate a standard for all states. This won't ruin your fun, but it will stop your posing which puts you, and the rest of us, at risk.
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