There is so much choice when you buy a car, but most people already have some idea of what they want before they enter the dealer’s showroom. In many cases, they want a big SUV. While each buyer will have their reasons for this, one is that SUVs are meant to be safer.
Is this true?
Yes, for those who drive or travel as passengers in them
The average number of people who die per 10 billion miles when traveling in cars is 36 for all cars. For the smallest category of four-door cars, it rises to 78 per 10 billion. Yet SUVs have a far lower figure, of only 19 deaths per billion miles. So clearly, they are safer for their occupants.
They are built to protect those inside
If a small skinny guy and a large muscly guy run into each other at full speed, the big guy will usually come off best. It’s the same when an SUV runs into most other cars on the road. Being bigger keeps its occupants safe.
Yet it means that other people come off worse
Back to the two people running into each other. The small skinny guy will likely suffer more injuries when colliding with the big muscly guy than if they collide with another small skinny person. Translate that to vehicles and SUVs inflict more harm on other vehicles and their occupants than a smaller car would.
It’s likely that some people in SUVs forget that their perceived invincibility creates more danger for others and drive in ways that are unsafe. If you are injured in a crash with one, you’ll need help to learn about holding the driver responsible.