Electric cars more likely to hit pedestrians than petrol vehicles

[Carlton green]

French cars designed for their damaged, ancient post-war roads are the perfect example of how light weight is generally better for poor roads.

I’ve commented before about the 2CV that my parents had. It rolled a bit but it would go virtually anywhere; well, they were designed to carry eggs (unbroken) across a ploughed field.

I’ve recently realised that deep section tyres might not be good for rolling resistance and car body roll but they’re much better for shock absorption and rolling ‘through’ or over obstacles. My ideal wheel has high profile tyres that just take changing surfaces in their stride.

[Biospace]

I’ve commented before about the 2CV that my parents had. It rolled a bit but it would go virtually anywhere; well, they were designed to carry eggs (unbroken) across a ploughed field.

I’ve recently realised that deep section tyres might not be good for rolling resistance and car body roll but they’re much better for shock absorption and rolling ‘through’ or over obstacles. My ideal wheel has high profile tyres that just take changing surfaces in their stride.

They were quite remarkable cars which despite their tall, narrow tyres took corners better than many English sports cars of the time - useful when you couldn't afford to slow down given the slower acceleration as speed built. Very low rolling resistance, also.

While it's correct to say a taller tyre will waste a little more energy in the greater flexing of the sidewall, this flexing reduces energies otherwise used to repeatedly accelerate wheel, hub, brakes and suspension through absorbing many smaller imperfections in the road. Not only that but in the real world, a car with lower profile tyres will almost always have a wider tyre, which increases frictional drag a lot.

Tyres which are on the wide and lower profile side of sensible are great for making an otherwise cheap design feel to respond to steering input more snappily, they're ideal for more compromised suspension design and using excessive power when surfaces are dry and smooth. The rest of the time, not so good - it's noticeable that manufacturers have rowed back on some daft tyre choices not so long ago.

[sjs]

While it's correct to say a taller tyre will waste a little more energy in the greater flexing of the sidewall, this flexing reduces energies otherwise used to repeatedly accelerate wheel, hub, brakes and suspension through absorbing many smaller imperfections in the road. Not only that but in the real world, a car with lower profile tyres will almost always have a wider tyre, which increases frictional drag a lot.

Tyres which are on the wide and lower profile side of sensible are great for making an otherwise cheap design feel to respond to steering input more snappily, they're ideal for more compromised suspension design and using excessive power when surfaces are dry and smooth. The rest of the time, not so good - it's noticeable that manufacturers have rowed back on some daft tyre choices not so long ago.

Low profile tyres also result in wheels much less forgiving of the occasional encounter with a kerb. It's quite rare to see a Tesla (for instance) without chewed-up rims.

[a.twiddler]

Wide low profile car tyres are certainly stylish but from my experience I found that they were quite fragile and prone to damage on our local crater strewn roads. Since going back to deeper tyres I've found less issues in that respect. It certainly seems a case of form over function, a solution to a problem that didn't previously exist. A bit like cars with lowered suspension or with an aftermarket air dam kit. OK for looking at, but not so good with speed humps or irregular road surfaces, needing the driver to avoid some routes.

[axel_knutt]

Are you aware of the relative carbon footprints for, say, a 20 mile trip by bicycle and one by more economical car?

Yes, very aware, I spent a lot of time looking into it in detail. The best option depends on what you eat and whether you own a car.

[Biospace]

Yes, very aware, I spent a lot of time looking into it in detail. The best option depends on what you eat and whether you own a car.

The numbers are very interesting, certainly highlighting how very inefficient our industrial food production has become, despite all the insistence that supply chains grow ever more efficient.

[Blondie]

We need fewer cars in general, a change in attitudes to driving and much less need for people to have to drive.

We could start by banning car adverts in the same way we banned cigarette adverts. In many ways cars have been far worse for our health as well as environment.

[Carlton green]

We need fewer cars in general, a change in attitudes to driving and much less need for people to have to drive.

We could start by banning car adverts in the same way we banned cigarette adverts. In many ways cars have been far worse for our health as well as environment.

Advertising is, in general, not beneficial to the consumer; adverts are about the supplier gaining some advantage regardless of what’s in the best interest of the purchaser. Advertising and marketing of cars leads us to want bigger, more luxurious, and faster vehicles; offering easy terms to pay reduces obstacles to purchase and adds an income stream (interest).

I can see your point about the health and the environment but how you put supporting numbers on that and how you persuade the public is another matter. We’re unlikely to see such an advertising ban - or even thought of one - in the foreseeable future. Mostly the car has become a necessary evil and it’ll take massive change to roll back the dominant place it now has in how the British people live. For me a start point in that process is finding ways to reduce the need of people to travel.

[Jules59]

Wide low profile car tyres are certainly stylish but from my experience I found that they were quite fragile and prone to damage on our local crater strewn roads. Since going back to deeper tyres I've found less issues in that respect. It certainly seems a case of form over function, a solution to a problem that didn't previously exist. A bit like cars with lowered suspension or with an aftermarket air dam kit. OK for looking at, but not so good with speed humps or irregular road surfaces, needing the driver to avoid some routes.

I put wider tyres on our Fiesta ST, but kept the same sidewall ratio so it increased in height by a few mm. Car is now quieter, smoother, grips better and has a shorter stopping distance. They were considerably cheaper too (OEM size is expensive). Speedo under-reads ever so slightly.
And we've had no kirbing events since.