Discussion on question by L.Dutch: What single change in history would make rear steering cars a standard?

Feeds

12:28

Q: What single change in history would make rear steering cars a standard?

In my alternate Earth, which follows our timeline almost consistently, I want one of the differences being that the de facto standard for cars is that they have rear steering wheels instead of the front steering wheels we have. With rear steering wheels I mean the two back wheels which give direc...

Vesper

Put the cart before the horse?

Joachim

Dragging wheelbarrows behind you?

shawnhcorey

Rear-steering wheels are hard to control. It would take everyone believing that accidents were caused by the gods or perhaps, the randomness of the universe. Nobody would be held responsible for accidents.

user554957

Having been a fork lift driver for over 20 years, I have considerable experience with back wheel steering. On a fork lift I wouldn't want front wheel steering, because I'd lose a lot of precision in positioning the forks. It's worth noting, though, that fork lifts have only a single point of rear support, either by having only one wheel of by using a pivot mounted axle. It's also worth noting, that no one of sound mind would drive a fork lift at high way speeds. The fastest I've gone with a fork lift was a 42 metric ton beast that did 35 kph, and that was a bit scary.

sphennings

This seems like a pretty broad question, with a lot of room for subjective interpretations of events. It's a cool question, but I feel it's better suited for discussing with friends over your beverage of choice, rather than this site.

Marthaª

12:28

I can maybe conceive of a world where the steering wheel happens to be in the back, but it still controls the front wheels. For basic physics reasons, rear-wheel steering just can't be a thing except in very specialized low-speed circumstances.

Robert Rapplean

This would require a change in physics. Rear steering wheels naturally increase any variations from driving straight. Any play in the steering system makes a vehicle impossible to control. This is the same reason that jets don't have swept-forward wings.

elemtilas

@Martha --- Quite a number of early motor cars were essentially driven from the back!

L. Dutch --- in light of Martha and my comments, can you clarify what you mean by "read steering wheels"? Do you want ((back wheels) that steer the vehicle) or ((a steering wheel) that is at the back of the vehicle)?

Marthaª

@elemtilas: rear-wheel-drive is not at all the same thing as rear-wheel-steering, though.

elemtilas

@Martha --- Ah, the lovely vagueness of English! I'm not referring ((back wheels) that accomplish the steering) but rather to ((a steering wheel) that is at the back)!

L.Dutch

@elemtilas since I use "steering wheels" doesn't that solve the ambiguity? I have yet to see a car with multiple "round things that the driver use to direct the motion"

elemtilas

12:28

L. Dutch --- a "steering wheel" can refer either to the control the driver uses to steer the vehicle (most common usage) or to the wheels of the vehicle that cause the direction to change. There are cars with four wheel steering.

Gillgamesh

Not exactly but somewhat related. My GrandFather was a fireman. He was reasonable for some time driving the ladder truck. Not the modern type but the old monstrous 2 section type with a driver in the front and and another steering the rear part in back. He more often than not was in back. He said it was terrifying, like wrestling a mad bull. He would often arrive at the fire and be so exhausted from fighting the truck he had nothing left for the fire.

elemtilas

Thanks for the clarification! sigh Now I can't give you an answer for controlling the car from the back!

aliential

You should include rear-steering bikes too. If you had creatures with super wide roads and appendages coming out of their back which makes rear steering logical, then it could be ok.

Mark

@Gillgamesh, the two-section type is still in use because it permits tighter turns than single-piece trucks -- I've watched a two-section ladder truck go (slowly) around a corner that I'd consider uncomfortably tight in my Honda Civic.

Kilisi

@InTheAbsenceOfFear back in the day I actually used to drive forklift in reverse between locales on the same street, just because it was so much easier to control.

user554957

12:28

@Kilisi I used to drive large container forklifts. Driving in reverse isn't an option with a 3.5 metre counter weight behind you. :D Nowdays it's mostly smaller ones with the chair mounted sideways. Those are pretty fun, because the steering (at least on modern ones) doesn't have any endpoints. If you continue turning, it'll eventually reverse direction. With practice this can be used to one's advantage.

Kilisi

@InTheAbsenceOfFear yeah the big ones would be a whole other level above what I was doing. Still, I enjoyed the work

Zeiss Ikon

@L.Dutch "I have yet to see a car with multiple "round things that the driver use to direct the motion" There actually were a couple early models of car (think 1910-ish) that had dual controls, one in front and one in the back seat.

L.Dutch

@ZeissIkon I am not THAT old ;)

Zeiss Ikon

12:49

Only reason I know about them was that Charles Steinmetz owned one...

Vogon Poet

The "all roads are windy" gets you to your world, as offered by @DWKraus. As long as society covers all high-speed transportation efficiently and practically via fixed rail or tram, then maneuverability wins over speed. So, eliminate highways completely.

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