Monster trucks present a serious safety threat to motorists on Kaua‘i roads. The aftermarket lift kits and oversized tires are unsafe and unnecessary. Crashes involving modified-vehicles are 29 times more likely to result in fatalities, according to a Virginia police
Monster trucks present a serious safety threat to motorists on Kaua‘i roads.
The aftermarket lift kits and oversized tires are unsafe and unnecessary.
Crashes involving modified-vehicles are 29 times more likely to result in fatalities, according to a Virginia police study recently cited in U.S. News & World Report.
Stability and stopping are seriously jeopardized and there is an increased likelihood the vehicle will roll over. This means these trucks are more likely to run red lights or rear-end other vehicles when traffic suddenly slows, like at the Wailua or Puhi bottlenecks.
The oversized tires also place greater demand on suspensions, steering components and braking systems, according to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.
In its study, an AAMVA group modified a 1992 Ford F-150 four-wheel-drive pickup, a standard-size pickup, with a 3-inch body lift, a suspension raised 4 inches, and 38-inch tires. It found that the risk of rolling over in braking tests increased to more than 40 percent, from a normal risk of 10 to 20 percent. The oversize tires reduced braking performance 20 to 25 percent.
While we enjoy off-roading and appreciate the need for hunters to access remote areas on Kaua‘i, the degree to which some of these monster truck owners have risen is irresponsible and needless.
Elevating one’s level of “coolness” among peers should not come at the cost of increasing the risk of injury or death among fellow drivers.
With tires extending beyond the wheel well and illegal bumper heights routinely seen while traveling on Garden Isle roads, we wonder why law enforcement has failed to crack down hard on this obvious hazard to the public welfare.
Let’s not wait until a cyclist gets clipped by one of these trucks whizzing past on the highway or a car driver gets killed in what could have been a survivable accident if only the bumpers could have done their job.
Safe vehicles help make safe roads.
