Gap in the market?

[Big J]

Just now, Woodworks said:

It's why I went with older Hilux. It was the narrowest pickup but had the same load size due to being slightly longer which is much less of a problem. Many modern cars are generally far too wide yet often seem to gain little inside.

It's side protection for the crash tests mostly. 

[Stere]

Even the mini is fat nowadays

 

Isn't cars getting wide  all to do with encap ratings and side impact airbags etc?

 

Also they have to fit fat people which is the majority now...

 

Also think abit about  fashion also.

[Big J]

43 minutes ago, Stere said:

Even the mini is fat nowadays

 

Isn't cars getting wide  all to do with encap ratings and side impact airbags etc?

 

Also they have to fit fat people which is the majority now...

 

Also think abit about  fashion also.

Most of the roads on the continent you wouldn't even think about the width of your vehicle. We haven't upgraded our roads to keep up with the development of vehicles in the UK.

 

For instance, on a site we're working at the moment, the pinch point was the road on one side of the bridge adjacent to site. A 2.9m wide bridge with a right turn after it meant that the lorries were having to turn right whilst still on the bridge. It was tight even for 6 wheelers. So I put a ruddy great big layby in straight on from the bridge so that the lorries can now completely cross it before turning and now we can get wagon and drags in. The whole network just needs an upgrade.

[Stubby]

6 hours ago, Stere said:

Even the mini is fat nowadays

 

Isn't cars getting wide  all to do with encap ratings and side impact airbags etc

You get a real  sene of this round here at this time of year .  Its coming up for the Goodwood revival meeting . You see a lot of vintage cars around . I recon if you put 2x Austin sevens next to each other , side by side , they would be no wider than a modern ( BMW ) Mini ...

Edited August 10, 2019 by Stubby

[carlos]

i find the real problem isnt the narrow roads, its peoples in ability to reverse that causes the problems!!

[Big J]

59 minutes ago, carlos said:

i find the real problem isnt the narrow roads, its peoples in ability to reverse that causes the problems!!

Quite agree. 

 

I've met a chap in a 55 plate Silver Polo 4 times in the valley where we're working in the past 8 months. The first time he charged straight past a passing place so I had to pull over (in a Sprinter, which was more challenging given the lack of space). The second time he took a full 5 minutes to reverse 150m along a straight lane to a large passing place. No fewer than 5 instances of having to pull forward to correct. Just bouncing from hedge to hedge, overcorrecting every time. Third time was shortly after the 2nd time so I reversed 300m to let him past (he was 50m past a passing place, but I figured it would be quicker for me to go back).

 

Fourth time he crashed into me. He came screaming around a blind bend at 35-40mph (way too fast for the lane), I was doing 20mph max. I came to a complete stop, he ploughed into the banking and his car tipped into my van and then rolled back down. Thankfully no damage to the van (the 4x4 Sprinter is very tall, he just hit the plastic bumpers) but the front end of his Polo looked pretty bad. 

 

I don't think you could do anything to teach someone like that how to drive. 

[IronMike]

One more meeting and he’ll be off the road mate!

[IronMike]

1 hour ago, carlos said:

i find the real problem isnt the narrow roads, its peoples in ability to reverse that causes the problems!!

‘R’ on the gear stick baffles folk doesn’t it? And as for those shiny things sticking out both sides..... 

[nepia]

And yet apparently they successfully double - er, parallel! - parked in order to pass their driving test!  'I've never taken a test' isn't an excuse any more (my Mum never did due to her age - was taught to drive on 3 tonners by the RAF in the war).

Edited August 11, 2019 by nepia
Wrong worm

[IronMike]

People’s inability to reverse does make for a good spectator sport, and really lets you train your poker face as you try not to laugh!

 

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve got out and reversed someone else’s car for them to save time. Doesn’t save their pride or dignity, but speeds the day up!