On Sat, 29 May 2004, Chris Dixon wrote:

> I'd perhaps give more credence to the question about dangerously
> underpowered vehicles if our own vanagons didn't disprove the notion
> that underpowered = more dangerous.

Where I live, it's the combination of an underpowered vehicle and
extremely poorly designed freeway entrances that creates the problem.
Freeway entrances should be long enough for even a loaded semi (which has
a far lower power/weight ratio than even a diesel Vanagon) to reach
traffic speeds before merging.  They should have a stretch of
accelleration lane parallel to the travel lanes so you can easily slide
into a gap in traffic.  Many of the ramps here have neither of those
features, so you have to compensate with raw horsepower.

David Brodbeck, N8SRE
'86 Volvo 240DL wagon
'82 VW Vanagon Westfalia Diesel