A few years ago, a healthcare professor at Harvard Medical School in the US suggested that watching movies like The Fast and the Furious, compounded by social media exposure, caused people to drive faster and break speeding laws.
As the World Health Organization points out, every 1% increase in average speed results in a 4% increase in the risk of a fatal crash. Globally, speeding is generally acknowledged to be a factor in approximately a third of all motor vehicle fatalities.
A recent review in the UK also suggests that previous statistics may have been under-reported as numbers are based on initial reports from the scene of a collision, where there is a strong incentive for drivers not to mention that they were speeding. Crucially, they are not updated at any point, even if the subsequent investigation finds that other factors contributed to the accident.
The Times newspaper reported that a Metropolitan Police review found that speeding was cited as a factor in 17.5 per cent of fatal crashes in 2019 based on the initial investigation, but that this rose to almost half (49.2%) based on the final results. Similarly, the figure for 2020 was revised up from 19.1% to 46.8%. If a similar bias exists in other countries, we may conclude that the impact of speeding can be up to 70% under-reported.
It might be asking too much of employers to keep an eye out for the release dates of Fast and Furious films*, but taking measures to curb speeding all year round, as well as educating drivers on the dangers of speeding as well as social medial influence more generally, should be part of a holistic risk management strategy.
Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) was behind many wheels across the Fast & Furious movies, and among all the cars Dom drives in Fast and Furious sit some of the best and most expensive in the franchise. Every one of Dominic Toretto's cars in Fast and Furious is a powerful beast that reflects the protagonist's personality, serving as an extension of the character's onscreen presence. Dominic Toretto has appeared in nine Fast & Furious movies (including his cameo in Tokyo Drift), as well as Diesel's self-created and directed tie-in short film, Los Bandoleros. The actor will surely add a few more vehicles to this list with the franchise's conclusion on the way.
Dom is a major fan of muscle cars, something that became apparent very early in the franchise. Rather than use typical models for speed during street races, Dom preferred something with horsepower. His love for this type of car was influenced by Dom's father, another car fanatic, and Dom had a tendency to argue with Brian O'Conner over his friend's loyalty to imports. While Dom has an affinity for the Dodge Charger, and he loves his classic muscle cars, the street legend and outlaw has also driven other iconic muscle cars as the Fast & Furious franchise rolls on.
What is the black car Dom drove in Fast and Furious' early movies? Dom's signature car in The Fast Saga is the black 1970 Dodge Charger R/T. Built by Dom and his father, it appeared in The Fast and the Furious, Fast & Furious, Fast Five, and Furious 7 - where it was destroyed when Dom faced off against Deckard Shaw in LA. Based on how the 1970 Dodge Charger R/T looks at the hideout in F9, it seems Dom repaired the car after Furious 7. He also brought it back in Fast X.
One of the most recognizable out of all the cars Dom drives in Fast and Furious, the 1970 Dodge Charger R/T was a part of the second generation of cars, but featured a completely unique style from previous iterations. Equipped with one of the biggest motors Dodge had in production at the time, the R/T was the first to give the option of an installed 440 six-pack, which pushed out a whopping 375 horsepower and 490 pound-feet of torque. A cross between a luxury vehicle and a muscle car, the Charger remains in the annals of the most coveted muscle cars of all time.
Not to be outdone by the other cars Dom drives in Fast and Furious, the end credits of The Fast and the Furious shows Dom escaping Los Angeles and driving a red Chevelle in Baja, Mexico. The car then returned in Fast & Furious when Dom drove home to attend Letty's funeral. Dom later sanded the car, repainted it gray, and blew it up while trying to get vengeance for Letty's "death" and then her subsequent resurrection several sequels later.
The 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS had the option of four different engine styles, with the 454 (LS6) maxing out at a staggering 450 horsepower. Coming in a wide variety of paint colors, 15 in total, the LS6 454 was the third-fastest classic muscle car from the muscle car era and the 2nd fastest overall in 1970. It also featured the highest advertised horsepower at the time and has surpassed its retail value. To purchase a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS today, the cost would be over $99,000 for the desirable Sport Coupe LS6 454.
Dom's Road Runner was first seen at the end of The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift when he encountered Sean at the race. He mentioned that he got the car from Han, which led back to Furious 7 when Dom traveled to Tokyo to retrieve Han's belongings after his presumed death. Of course, Han's death was faked by him and Mr. Nobody, returning for F9. Dom used a different Road Runner in the movie when he was back in Los Angeles.
Out of all the cars Dom drives in Fast and Furious, the Plymouth Road Runner was the most revolutionary of the muscle car era. While other muscle cars hiked up their price tags and beefed up their size, the Road Runner did the opposite. Not only does it get its name from a famous cartoon character, but each Road Runner was equipped with a special horn to mimic the character. This stripped-down and basic muscle car, when equipped with a 426-ci Street Hemi, reached a shocking 494 horsepower, living up to its iconic namesake.
Dom bought the Challenger in Spain and was later seen racing Brian at the end of Fast Five while celebrating their successful heist. In the next film, Fast & Furious 6, Dom and Brian were racing once again while using the same two cars. The fate of the car is currently unknown in The Fast Saga.
Out of all the cars Dom drives in Fast and Furious, the 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT-8 is the newest. Running on a V-8 engine, the Challenger reaches a max horsepower of 425 with 420 pound-feet of torque. Its retro styling is reminiscent of the muscle car era, to be sure, and features a lower suspension for expert handling.
Dom first used the 1968 Dodge Charger Hellacious in F9 when the group arrived in Edinburgh to hunt down Jakob Toretto to stop him from using the Project Ares device. The car was then used during the convoy sequence in Tbilisi, specifically in taking down the armored vehicle with magnets. The Charger was then given to Jakob Toretto, who later attempted to return it to Dom as the brothers made amends.
Out of all the cars Dom drives in Fast and Furious, the 1968 Dodge Charger Hellacious is by far the fastest. Custom-built by Speedkore, a supercharged 6.2-liter Hellcat HEMI V8 is what gives the vehicle a staggering 707 horsepower and 650 pound-foot of torque. The car also features a gated manual Graziano transaxle from a Lamborghini Gallardo and also has a hydraulic handbrake to help deal with drifts and slides.
Dom brought back his basic Dodger Charger R/T for much of Fast X. However, there was a scene in Rome where Dom ended up behind the wheel of a 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody. It is, like his other Chargers, sleek and black, and the scene it appeared in was one of the biggest in the movie. This saw a bomb Dante set in motion to roll down the hill and explode at the Vatican.
This scene was also, surprisingly, done practically when it comes to the car's actual action and movements. Director Louis Letterier said that they set the one-ton ball to roll down the street and the only way to stop it was for Dominic Toretto's car to hit it just right to send it into the water. "We did it for real! We set it up. We set it on fire. We blew up gas stations. All that stuff was done for real, in Rome" (via Cinema Blend). The Redeye has an enhanced version of the Hellcat engine, and Dodge claims its car can go 129 mph down a quarter-mile drag strip in just 10.6 seconds.
The Fast & Furious franchise has captivated movie-going audiences for years with fast cars and death-defying stunts. In addition to the explosive chase sequences and racing that the films offer, the films have produced characters beloved by fans.
One of the main characters is Dominic "Dom" Toretto, played by Vin Diesel, who has appeared in 7 of the 9 movies. As these movies are focused on cars, Dom's character isn't complete without his vehicle.
Dom's car in the Fast and Furious movies is a 1970 Dodge Charger R/T. The history of Dom's Charger covers a great deal of ground. From its origin story and the many times it's been destroyed to behind the scene's modifications that made the car ready for the big screen, Dom's Charger has been through a lot.
"The Fast and the Furious," the first film in the franchise, introduced Dom's 1970 Dodge Charger R/T to audiences. In the movie, audiences learn that when Dom was a child, he helped his father build this black muscle car. With the car's 900 horsepower, Dom's father broke the record for the time it takes to go a 1/4 mile, traveling the distance in only nine seconds.
After the shooting of a friend, Dom and Brian O'Conner chase after the killers. At the time, there are no other cars for Dom to drive other than the Charger. While facing his fears behind the wheel, Dom sees that he can control the car and use it for good. He catches up to one of the killers, Lance, and knocks him off his motorcycle and down a hill.
Once both of the killers have been dealt with, Brian and Dom meet at a red light. Instead of being terrified by the car, Dom now has the confidence to race it. As soon as the light turns green, they start drag racing. After they both narrowly miss an oncoming train, Dom wins the race.
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