Chapter 6: Passenger Vehicles Flashcards
Passenger vehicles are classified based on what?
their wheelbase and/or the gross vehicle weight rating
- additionally, some are further defined by the total amount of passenger and cargo volume, measured in cubic feet within the vehicle.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
Maximum weight at which a vehicle can be safely operated on roadways; includes the weight of the vehicle itself plus fuel, passengers, cargo, and trailer tongue weight.
What are the most common types of passenger vehicles?
- Passenger cars
- Vans
- Sport utility vehicles
- Pickup trucks
Types of passenger cars.
- Minicompact cars
- Subcompact cars
- Compact cars
- Midsize cars
- Large (full size) cars
- Specialized passenger vehicles
Minicompact cars
AKA station cars - generally less than 10 feet in length with interior volumes of less than 85 cubic feet and wheelbase less than 86 inches.
Subcompact cars
Passenger vehicles with a wheelbase of less than 100 inches, primarily economy cars with a unibody construction, often without a trunk, and may have a third door or a hatch back in the rear.
Compact cars
Cars with a wheelbase between 100 and 104 inches, typically slightly larger versions of subcompact cars, and may have four doors, trunks, and even station wagon configurations.
Midsize cars
Cars with a wheelbase of 105 to 109 inches. Many have unibody construction. This class includes midsize station wagons, and may have 3-5 doors.
Large (full size) cars
Cars with a wheelbase of 110 to 114 inches, includes luxury automobiles, many are built on rigid frames. Their heavy construction can make extrication operations more difficult and time consuming.
Specialized passenger vehicles include:
- Station wagons
- Limousines
- Sports cars/ coupes
- Roadsters
- Convertibles
- Kit cars
Station wagons are distinguished from hatchbacks, minivans, or SUV’s in what two ways?
- The height of the passenger compartment remains the same for its entire length.
- The front body of the vehicle matches other vehicles in the manufacturers production line.
Limousines have a wheelbase of ____, and are built on ____.
- more than 114 inches
* heavy frames
In the event of an accident, limousine passengers are more likely to ____
not be wearing a seat belt.
Sports cars/ coupes
- can be equipped with Roll Over Protection Systems (ROPS)
* these cars are involved in many high speed collisions.
Roadsters
conversions of popular older vehicles into two seat open vehicles that offered limited protection from the weather and collisions. The lack a roof, rear and side windows, and passenger protection systems. Modern versions are two seat, convertible sports cars.
Convertibles
May have ROPS permanently deployed or crash/ roll activated. Unlike roadsters, these are equipped with roll-up side windows.
Vans can hold up to ____ passengers.
15
Minivans have a GVWR of less than ____
8,500 pounds
Minivans are vulnerable to ____
high crosswinds and rollovers
SUV’s evolved out of ____
the truck based station wagons of earlier decades.
Pick up trucks are all constructed on ____
full rigid frames
A pick up trucks carrying capacity ranges from ____
1/2 to 1 ton
From an extrication standpoint, every vehicle can be considered to have ____ sides. What are these sides?
8
- Front
- Rear
- Interior
- Exterior
- Driver side
- Passenger side
- Undercarriage
- Roof
The roof is always ___, regardless of how the vehicle is resting.
called the roof