Firstly, the NCAP results ONLY factor potential injury as others have pointed out.
Secondly, for a minor fender bender, the difference in smash repair costs is usually a factor of the quality of the design and the cost of the parts involved. A broken headlight can cost $600 or more for some cars.
Plus in Australia, since seatbelt wearing is pretty widespread because our constitution doesn't prevent it being compulsory, unlike some countries I could mention (;) ) airbags in most cars are set to go off at a higher level of impact, which means that a minor carpark bingle doesn't cost you a new airbag.
Some built for the US market have airbags that will go off even in a minor collision, unnecessarily if seatbelts are in use. This adds dollars also.
Some (usually smaller, lighter and cheaper) cars are built so that major structural damage is sustained in minor collisions. Other do some of the initial impact absorption using removable parts like the front fender. Sometimes the one that suffers structural damage in the minor collision also performs worse in the major one.
The NRMA has done tests of various cars repair costs after minor collisions. (see www.nrma.com.au) Look for the one for the Nissan Micra (if it's still there - otherwise most of the Korean cars), and compare it with the NCAP result for the same car.
The biggest problem is that many people who drive SUVs have unrealistic expectations of them.
When a professional driver is driving a truck or minibus, he or she drives it in accordance with its limitations (usually).
A lot of people who drive SUVs expect them to handle like the car they just got out of, only bigger, when most are much more like trucks in their dynamics.
An example:
In a previous job, we were offered "driver awareness" training, which consisted of braking and manouevering exercises performeds under controlled conditions. The premise was to give drivers a feel for what their car can and cannot do under emergency conditions, because its too late to find out when the circumstances arise.
On this occasion, the only vehicle I could get from the car pool was a long wheelbase Nissan Patrol.
This behemoth was OK with the straight braking exercises, but try as I might, I could not make it swerve and brake at the same time - it would either not slow down enough, or go plowing through the witches hats in a straight line (this was before ABS was widespread)
I had previously done the exercises OK i a regular car, so I knew it wasn't me.
The instructer suggested doing the exercise 10 km/hr (6 MPH) slower than the other cars, and lo and behold, it worked.
It is truly amazing how much difference 10 km/h makes to your ability to escape from a situation. It is also remarkable how much LESS effective at doing so an SUV is.
I would support a 10 km/h lower speed limit and/or different licence for any vehicle over 2.5 tonnes on the basis of what I experienced on that day, but watch the howls of protest from the SUV/former Volvo driver brigade.
So, one spends big $$$ (or other currency) on an X-box 360 and then EXTRA big $$$ to someone else to make it work properly. This is not like customising for extra performance, or a pretty box - this is about functionality.
If the X-Box 360 is so badly designed that it needs third party add-ons to work properly, no way am I buying one until it comes off the shelf with sufficient cooling.
The main reason for me (apart from the cost) is the need for an HDTV to take advantage of the improved graphics. FOr my regular PAL TV, the original X-Box does just fine, and there are thousands of games out there for it. I just hope they keep selling them for a while yet.
My Suse 10.0 box plays DVDs just fine using Kaffeine and I have never selected any region or been asked to. I am in Region 4. I bleieve some Region 1 DVDs will not play in a region free DVD player.
It's true. Originally convicts were transported to the colonies in America. When this became unavailable due to the lack of co-operation from the locals:), Australia was used instead.
What is next? I buy a honda and there will be an eula that if I put on an extra exhaust pipe, or change the air filter I am modding illegally? Oh yeah, I circumvented the rev limiter because my bike moved like grandma's.... everyone does that.....</blockquote>
Actually that is illegal in NSW, if it affects the noise certification. And if your exhaust doesn't have a sticker on it that says it is legally quiet, your bike will be defected even if it is not noisy.
www.131500.com.au, the Transport Info line, accessible using web, wap or phone.
Re:Admin permissions required in windows? Hogwash.
on
Antispyware Shootout
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· Score: 1
This is true in an environment where you run Microsoft Office exclusively. If you want to use specialty software or get stuff from your video camera or scanner, there is often no choice but to run as an administrator, only because the program expects to be able to write to "c:\Program Files", because they follow the model of storing EVERYTHING relating to the program along with the program, including the data.
This is a hangover from Windows 98, which had no restrictions at all.
Unix has long had file permissions, and so the software written for it is written with per user settings and data in mind.
Oh c'mon get a grip. Haven't you been in those clothing stores where they play that "DOOF-DOOF" music? They do that so that only their target market will go near the place. Only in that case their target market is you. It isn't always you. Get over it.
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Only because the speed of light is a constant, but it is still velocity, and has the units m/s.
1. Rent an SUV for that once a year camping holiday to Fraser Island.
...
2. Have a regular car for the rest of the year.
3.
you know the rest.
Firstly, the NCAP results ONLY factor potential injury as others have pointed out.
Secondly, for a minor fender bender, the difference in smash repair costs is usually a factor of the quality of the design and the cost of the parts involved. A broken headlight can cost $600 or more for some cars.
Plus in Australia, since seatbelt wearing is pretty widespread because our constitution doesn't prevent it being compulsory, unlike some countries I could mention ( ;) ) airbags in most cars are set to go off at a higher level of impact, which means that a minor carpark bingle doesn't cost you a new airbag.
Some built for the US market have airbags that will go off even in a minor collision, unnecessarily if seatbelts are in use. This adds dollars also.
Some (usually smaller, lighter and cheaper) cars are built so that major structural damage is sustained in minor collisions. Other do some of the initial impact absorption using removable parts like the front fender. Sometimes the one that suffers structural damage in the minor collision also performs worse in the major one.
The NRMA has done tests of various cars repair costs after minor collisions. (see www.nrma.com.au) Look for the one for the Nissan Micra (if it's still there - otherwise most of the Korean cars), and compare it with the NCAP result for the same car.
The biggest problem is that many people who drive SUVs have unrealistic expectations of them.
When a professional driver is driving a truck or minibus, he or she drives it in accordance with its limitations (usually).
A lot of people who drive SUVs expect them to handle like the car they just got out of, only bigger, when most are much more like trucks in their dynamics.
An example:
In a previous job, we were offered "driver awareness" training, which consisted of braking and manouevering exercises performeds under controlled conditions. The premise was to give drivers a feel for what their car can and cannot do under emergency conditions, because its too late to find out when the circumstances arise.
On this occasion, the only vehicle I could get from the car pool was a long wheelbase Nissan Patrol.
This behemoth was OK with the straight braking exercises, but try as I might, I could not make it swerve and brake at the same time - it would either not slow down enough, or go plowing through the witches hats in a straight line (this was before ABS was widespread)
I had previously done the exercises OK i a regular car, so I knew it wasn't me.
The instructer suggested doing the exercise 10 km/hr (6 MPH) slower than the other cars, and lo and behold, it worked.
It is truly amazing how much difference 10 km/h makes to your ability to escape from a situation. It is also remarkable how much LESS effective at doing so an SUV is.
I would support a 10 km/h lower speed limit and/or different licence for any vehicle over 2.5 tonnes on the basis of what I experienced on that day, but watch the howls of protest from the SUV/former Volvo driver brigade.
Notice how there aren't as many Volvos around anymore? Those people now drive SUVs, and for much the same reason.
Scary thought.
So, one spends big $$$ (or other currency) on an X-box 360 and then EXTRA big $$$ to someone else to make it work properly. This is not like customising for extra performance, or a pretty box - this is about functionality.
If the X-Box 360 is so badly designed that it needs third party add-ons to work properly, no way am I buying one until it comes off the shelf with sufficient cooling.
In that case, I highly recommend the Samsung TS-H552U Dvd writer
... we will deal with your Russian friends soon enough.
The main reason for me (apart from the cost) is the need for an HDTV to take advantage of the improved graphics. FOr my regular PAL TV, the original X-Box does just fine, and there are thousands of games out there for it. I just hope they keep selling them for a while yet.
My Suse 10.0 box plays DVDs just fine using Kaffeine and I have never selected any region or been asked to. I am in Region 4. I bleieve some Region 1 DVDs will not play in a region free DVD player.
It's true. Originally convicts were transported to the colonies in America. When this became unavailable due to the lack of co-operation from the locals :), Australia was used instead.
Maybe he lives in an alternative universe where John Howard and his fellow royalists didn't train wreck Australia's coming of age.
The thing that stopped it was that there is no way to profit from giving away free power. Much more lucrative to use wires that can be metered.
I tried to load it on my Nokia 6225 and got SERVICE DOESN'T EXIST.
Did we slashdot Google Mail or is it my phone?
Heh, Christmas IS celebrated sometime in the summer(for us). Please don't move it.
...does she dream of electric sheep?
You won't know until you open the can, but when you do, the cat will die.
That last post should also have mentioned that that's for people in Sydney, Australia
www.131500.com.au, the Transport Info line, accessible using web, wap or phone.
This is true in an environment where you run Microsoft Office exclusively. If you want to use specialty software or get stuff from your video camera or scanner, there is often no choice but to run as an administrator, only because the program expects to be able to write to "c:\Program Files", because they follow the model of storing EVERYTHING relating to the program along with the program, including the data.
This is a hangover from Windows 98, which had no restrictions at all.
Unix has long had file permissions, and so the software written for it is written with per user settings and data in mind.
7 Year olds are good for this too.
"Daddy! you're going 110 and the sign says 100!"
If it's an ad, adblock.
Oh c'mon get a grip. Haven't you been in those clothing stores where they play that "DOOF-DOOF" music? They do that so that only their target market will go near the place. Only in that case their target market is you. It isn't always you. Get over it.
A lot of stores use loud music for that exact purpose already - in reverse to what's being talked about here.