One of the most controversial issues concerning SUVs is that as their number rose during the 1990s and 2000s, they caused more injuries and deaths to occupants of normal passenger cars during crashes. The reason being that their front end had the undesirable effect of hitting normal cars much higher, where their occupants were less protected.
A study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) involving one- to four-year old vehicles shows that the situation has improved significantly in the past decade.
The fatality rate for occupants of cars and minivans weighing 3,000-3,499 pounds (1,360-1,587 kg) dropped from 44 deaths per million in 2000-2001 to 16 deaths per million in 2008-2009, a reduction of almost 64%.
IIHS chief administrative officer Joseph M. Nolan, a co-author of the study, said: “It used to be, pound for pound, that pickups and SUVs were more deadly than cars”. The study also found that, despite the significant improvement, car occupants are still more likely to die in a collision with a pickup truck or, as Nolan puts it, “there’s more work to do” with these kind of vehicles.
The study, which is based on federal data, also revealed that it isn’t just SUVs but all vehicles in general that have become safer in the last decade due to more strict legislation and new active and passive safety systems introduced by car manufacturers.
According to the US Department of Transportation, fatalities are at their lowest rate since 1949.
Story sources: IIHS via Wall Street Journal
