Humvee Crashes Perplex Army

USA Today via Yahoo News ^ | 3-18-2005 | Gregg Zoroya

[Pendragon_6]

The Army is baffled by a recent spate of vehicle accidents in Iraq - many of them rollovers involving armored Humvees - that have claimed more than a dozen lives this year.

One key concern: Soldiers lack the skills to handle the heavier Humvees and are losing control as they speed through ambush areas before insurgents detonate roadside bombs.

"An individual feels that if he goes faster he can avoid that threat," says Lt. Col. Michael Tarutani, an Army official tracking the accidents. "But now he's exceeded, first, maybe his capabilities, and then maybe the speed for those conditions."

In the past four full months, the numbers of serious vehicle accidents and fatalities in Iraq have more than doubled from the previous four months, records provided by the Army show. In the first 10 weeks of this year, 14 soldiers were killed in accidents involving Humvees or trucks. All but one died in rollovers. If that rate continues, the number of soldiers killed in such accidents this year would be almost double the 39 soldiers killed in 2004. Detailed records involving Marines were not available.

The Army is trying to determine whether the dramatic increase in the number of Humvees in use in Iraq - or an increase in the amount of miles they are being driven - might explain the higher number of accidents. It also is questioning whether the handling and center of gravity in Humvees may have been altered by armor plating bolted on in Iraq or shields added around gun turrets.

Continued

[the invisib1e hand]

it's the malicious SUV's at it again. what have we created?!

[armymarinemom]

The Army is trying to determine whether the dramatic increase in the number of Humvees in use in Iraq - or an increase in the amount of miles they are being driven - might explain the higher number of accidents. It also is questioning whether the handling and center of gravity in Humvees may have been altered by armor plating bolted on in Iraq or shields added around gun turrets.

That would be my guess. I've never driven an armored Humvee but I have driven an ambulance and it handles much differently than a van or truck.

[sierrahome]

"14 soldiers were killed in accidents involving Humvees or trucks"

We need to end our occupation of motor vehicles and pull our troops out of Humvees and trucks!

[stuartcr]

Probably has a lot to do with driving when you are really scared...

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

It also is questioning whether the handling and center of gravity in Humvees may have been altered by armor plating bolted on in Iraq or shields added around gun turrets.

And could it be that, with the added weight alone (apart from any CG effects), the humvee isn't quite as responsive to the controls as it was without it?

Nah! Couldn't be that! That would mean that putting armor on the humvees wasn't a free lunch, even from a casualty-count-in-humvees perspective. And we all know that that isn't true!

</sarcasm>

[mhking]

Just damn.

If you want on the list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[bmwcyle]

19 year old men behind the wheel of a V8. What is to wonder?

[theFIRMbss]

>We need to end our occupation of motor vehicles and pull our troops out of Humvees and trucks!

It's because soldiers
can't marry their Humvees. That
would solve everything!

[null and void]

19 year old men behind the wheel of a V8. What is to wonder?

Without beer.

[Smokin' Joe]

I wonder if they modify the suspension for the extra weight? If not, maybe they should.

[TChris]

It also is questioning whether the handling and center of gravity in Humvees may have been altered by armor plating bolted on in Iraq or shields added around gun turrets.

Duh!

I seem to remember a report posted here some months ago where someone in the Army pointed out that the extra armor pushes the HumVee far outside of its designed parameters. Engineers don't just randomly make up these design limitations! The HumVee wasn't designed to be an APC!

[aspiring.hillbilly]

The hummer was never designed to be an armored vehicle. If the army needs armored vehicles there, they should use purpose built armor.

[dpa5923]

During the first Gulf War, another Marine and I "borrowed" a CUCV Ambulance and on a turn actually got that bad boy on two wheels. Yeah, heavy vehicles handle differently.

[R. Scott]

what have we created?!

Maybe we have created a vehicle that is very top heavy because a lot of heavy armor was added above the original center of gravity?

[roaddog727]

"It also is questioning whether the handling and center of gravity in Humvees may have been altered by armor plating bolted on in Iraq or shields added around gun turrets."

This I can say from experience in driveing these things is the most likely cause of the rollovers.

[bmwcyle]

I raced without beer when I was 19 all the time. 1970 Olds F85 with a 350.

[null and void]

Did you crash?

[Pendragon_6]

If you raise the center of gravity by mounting armor plating up high, it makes a vehicle prone to rollovers at speeds over 35 mph.

[bmwcyle]

A few bumps.