Kids Not Safer in SUVs
According to a recent article published in the journal Pediatrics, kids aren’t any safer in SUVs than in conventional cars. Apparently the size advantage of SUVs is offset by their increased rollover risk. This conclusion is based on a survey of accidents that occurred between 2000-2003 and involved nearly 4,000 kids under the age of 16. All in all, the injury rate for these kids was about 1.7% in both cars and SUVs. On average, the SUVs weighed 1,300 pounds more than the cars and the extra weight enhanced safety in non-rollover collisions, reducing the risk of injury by more than a third. On the other hand, the SUVs were more than twice as likely to roll over, and kids in rollovers were three times more likely to be seriously injured than those in non-rollover accidents. The good news here is that both cars and SUVs seem to be pretty darn safe, as the chance of injury in both cases is less than 2%.
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I am not a big fan of SUVs: I really do not see the point in driving one. Either get a car, or get a pickup truck, is my opinion on the matter. Got a lot of kids? Get a station wagon.
Comment by — Jan 6th 2006 @ 10:18 amThe problem is that you can’t find a decent sized station wagon nowadays. SUVs and minivans have taken over that market. The only wagons you can find are the small ‘sport’ wagons like the Passat. We have a Honda Odyssey minivan, and we also recently replaced my old Honda Accord with a Honda CRV. It’s relatively small, but still allows me to haul kids and gear, it gets good mileage (built on a Civic platform), and has a stellar safety record (it has the same rollover rating as an Accord). I would have *loved* to get an Accord wagon, but they haven’t made them since the late 90s.
Comment by dad — Jan 6th 2006 @ 10:26 amNo one is any safer in an SUV, right?
Comment by — Feb 10th 2006 @ 10:10 amjim, that’s not exactly what they tested, but I’m sure you’re right.
Comment by dad — Feb 11th 2006 @ 10:35 pm