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Jerry P. Hirshberg, Nissan’s retired president of North American design, once stated that when “Europeans think about safety, they think about a light, agile car” — much like the one pictured on the left. However, the “American image of safety is put a tank around me, get as much mass as possible and let Isaac Newton work his magic” (Bradsher, 2002; p. 107).
Of course, not all Americans think that way. But those of us who gravitate toward a European sensibility are at a potentially fatal disadvantage if our delightfully agile small car fails to avoid a collision with a large truck or SUV.
Also see ‘2019 auto design: One step closer to machine guns?’
RE:SOURCES
- Bradsher, Keith; 2002. High and Mighty: SUVs — The World’s Most Dangerous Vehicles and How They Got that Way. Public Affairs, New York, NY.
This is an updated version of a story first posted March 10, 2018.
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