All the BRV's have an hexagonal cross-section, ie: the vehicle has an horizontal roof and underbody, and diagonal upper and lower panels, descending from the roof and rising from the underbody respectively.
(upper/lower join angles are much more acute than illustrated) .....____....roof .../.......\..upper panels ...\_____/..lower panels ..underbody
The height off the ground at which the upper panels join the lower panels is determined by vehicle weight, ie:
Tractor Trailer: ........._______ ......../...........\ ....../...............\ ..../...................\ ....\______________/
Econobox .........._________ ......../.............\ ........\............./ ..........\_______/
...so no matter what the relative weights of the vehicles, in a collision, the lighter vehicle will go ramping up the heavier vehicle. No bumpers necessary.
(inspired by [pocmloc]s idea concerning parallelogram car shapes which I can't find right now)-- FlyingToaster, Aug 11 2010 (?) AMC Pacer http://dummidumbwit...so-homely-its-cute/According to Business Week magazine the 1970s were “infamous for disco, Watergate and some of the ugliest cars ever. [LoriZ, Aug 12 2010] (?) Shrike http://unitas.lunar...~norton2/shrike.htmAn owner-built trike that incorporated this principle [BunsenHoneydew, Aug 22 2010] that's okay, wait 'til it sinks in that an econobox meeting a tractor trailer would result in the 'box going faster than it was before except now it's flying.-- FlyingToaster, Aug 12 2010 [FlyingToaster] You say that like it's a bad thing.-- mouseposture, Aug 12 2010 Thanks [FT]. My original image was that all vehicles would be shaped with a parallelogroid cross-section, so it would be like a cow-catcher fitted to every side of the vehicle. It would make it more unexpected who went over and who under, but that might add to the fun. /O=O\ /OXXXO\ /oMo\ but with much shallower slopes at each end.
Also it was not originally concieved of as a safety feature for collisions, but rather as a way of increasing traffic flow in congested city crossroads and junctions.-- pocmloc, Aug 12 2010 Let's also take off the wheels and instead wrap the vehicle in tank treads. This way, if I'm stuck in traffic, I can just drive my econobox up the rear ramp of the semi in front of me, over the top and down the front. That'll teach truckers to cut me off in traffic!-- WhatArmy, Aug 12 2010 probably the most advanced thought on the subject to date.
el dueno-- el dueno, Aug 19 2010 random, halfbakery