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SUV's no safer
Posted by Fattie
Fattie
SUV's no safer January 03, 2006 |
Here's the article in full:
Children no safer in SUVs, study finds
Bigger doesn't equal safer, pediatricians group says, finding that the advantage of extra weight is offset by the vehicles' tendencies to roll over.
By The Associated Press
Children are no safer riding in SUVs than in passenger cars, largely because the greater risk of rollovers in SUVs cancels out the safety advantages of their size and weight, according to a study.
Researchers said the findings dispel the bigger-equals-safer myth that has helped fuel the growing popularity of SUVs among families. SUV registrations climbed 250% in the United States between 1995 and 2002.
"We're not saying they're worse or that they're terrible vehicles. We're challenging the conventional wisdom that everyone assumed they were better," said Dr. Dennis Durbin, a pediatric emergency physician who took part in the study, published Tuesday in the journal Pediatrics.
Automakers say SUVs as safe or safer
Eron Shosteck, a spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said he had not seen the study but cited government research released last summer that found SUVs have become less top-heavy since 2000 and have made dramatic improvements in rollover resistance.
"SUVs have an exceptional safety record and are safer than or as safe as cars in the vast majority of crashes," Shosteck said.
The study, which Durbin called the first on SUVs and child safety, was sponsored by Partners for Child Passenger Safety, a research project of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance.
The researchers looked at accidents involving nearly 4,000 children under age 16 between 2000 and 2003, and found child injury rates of about 1.7% in both cars and SUVs. The study examined only 1998 or newer cars and SUVs with second-generation air bags.
On average, the SUVs weighed 1,300 pounds more than the cars studied. The study found that the extra weight of SUVs enhanced safety, reducing the risk of injury by more than a third.
But that was offset by findings that SUVs were more than twice as likely as cars to roll over in crashes.
Fuel for rollover standards
Children in rollovers were three times more likely to be seriously injured than those in non-rollover accidents, according to the study.
The findings surprised researchers, who assumed heavier SUVs were safer than cars when they launched the study a year ago, Durbin said.
SUV safety probably will improve because of legislation approved by Congress this year that requires the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration to develop standards for automakers to address SUV rollovers, he said.
"To the extent that SUV makers can solve the rollover problem, we may see them becoming the safe haven for children that they have the potential to be," Durbin said.
Automakers already have made strides through engineering and new technology such as electronic stability control, Shosteck said.
NHTSA spokesman Rae Tyson agreed but said he hopes the study will encourage families to check safety ratings closely before buying.
"There is a segment of the buying public that may be buying them with the false impression that they are buying the safest vehicle they can for their families," Tyson said.
(Source: http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Insurance/Insureyourcar/P140031.asp?GT1=7592)
Children no safer in SUVs, study finds
Bigger doesn't equal safer, pediatricians group says, finding that the advantage of extra weight is offset by the vehicles' tendencies to roll over.
By The Associated Press
Children are no safer riding in SUVs than in passenger cars, largely because the greater risk of rollovers in SUVs cancels out the safety advantages of their size and weight, according to a study.
Researchers said the findings dispel the bigger-equals-safer myth that has helped fuel the growing popularity of SUVs among families. SUV registrations climbed 250% in the United States between 1995 and 2002.
"We're not saying they're worse or that they're terrible vehicles. We're challenging the conventional wisdom that everyone assumed they were better," said Dr. Dennis Durbin, a pediatric emergency physician who took part in the study, published Tuesday in the journal Pediatrics.
Automakers say SUVs as safe or safer
Eron Shosteck, a spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said he had not seen the study but cited government research released last summer that found SUVs have become less top-heavy since 2000 and have made dramatic improvements in rollover resistance.
"SUVs have an exceptional safety record and are safer than or as safe as cars in the vast majority of crashes," Shosteck said.
The study, which Durbin called the first on SUVs and child safety, was sponsored by Partners for Child Passenger Safety, a research project of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance.
The researchers looked at accidents involving nearly 4,000 children under age 16 between 2000 and 2003, and found child injury rates of about 1.7% in both cars and SUVs. The study examined only 1998 or newer cars and SUVs with second-generation air bags.
On average, the SUVs weighed 1,300 pounds more than the cars studied. The study found that the extra weight of SUVs enhanced safety, reducing the risk of injury by more than a third.
But that was offset by findings that SUVs were more than twice as likely as cars to roll over in crashes.
Fuel for rollover standards
Children in rollovers were three times more likely to be seriously injured than those in non-rollover accidents, according to the study.
The findings surprised researchers, who assumed heavier SUVs were safer than cars when they launched the study a year ago, Durbin said.
SUV safety probably will improve because of legislation approved by Congress this year that requires the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration to develop standards for automakers to address SUV rollovers, he said.
"To the extent that SUV makers can solve the rollover problem, we may see them becoming the safe haven for children that they have the potential to be," Durbin said.
Automakers already have made strides through engineering and new technology such as electronic stability control, Shosteck said.
NHTSA spokesman Rae Tyson agreed but said he hopes the study will encourage families to check safety ratings closely before buying.
"There is a segment of the buying public that may be buying them with the false impression that they are buying the safest vehicle they can for their families," Tyson said.
(Source: http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Insurance/Insureyourcar/P140031.asp?GT1=7592)
Nour
Re: SUV's no safer January 04, 2006 |
What really irks me about the SUV-driving set in general is the whole attitude they seem to have when they are driving. Because they are driving a bigger vehicle that is *safer* they don't pay as close attention to their driving as they should. So they drive faster, cut people off, etc. because "I'm in a bigger car, they have to let me in."
I think this attitude adds to the unsafeness of SUVs.
I think this attitude adds to the unsafeness of SUVs.
Feh
Re: SUV's no safer January 04, 2006 |
I heard of a marketing study that broke down the personality traits of SUV drivers. Basically they're a bunch of selfish assholes who are not confident in their driving skills. I'd imagine that's one of the main reasons why I see so many of them in the ditch after every snowfall here. Interesting.
I really hate minivan drivers. They're just as innattentive and rude as SUV drivers, but they're also fucking slow. They seem to feel it's perfectly safe to go 55 in the left hand lane of a 65 mph highway because they're so fucking concerned about the SAFETY of their precious spawn, they don't even realize the extreme danger of going 10 mph under the speed limit in the passing lane.
I really hate minivan drivers. They're just as innattentive and rude as SUV drivers, but they're also fucking slow. They seem to feel it's perfectly safe to go 55 in the left hand lane of a 65 mph highway because they're so fucking concerned about the SAFETY of their precious spawn, they don't even realize the extreme danger of going 10 mph under the speed limit in the passing lane.
CF Scorpio
Re: SUV's no safer January 04, 2006 |
Nour Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What really irks me about the SUV-driving set in
> general is the whole attitude they seem to have
> when they are driving. Because they are driving a
> bigger vehicle that is *safer* they don't pay as
> close attention to their driving as they should.
> So they drive faster, cut people off, etc. because
> "I'm in a bigger car, they have to let me in."
> I think this attitude adds to the unsafeness of
> SUVs.
Yeah, I see a lot of that, and it drives me crazy. I can't tell you how many times in the past year I've been cut off by, almost rammed into or driven off the road by people in trucks, vans and SUVs. Apparently they don't even feel any type of responsibility to check their blind spot before changing lanes, because hey, even if there is a smaller car there, they don't care!
I think there's a certain type of personality that craves a big vehicle...it's called a "fuck you, I'm invincible, so get the hell out of my way" attitude.
-------------------------------------------------------
> What really irks me about the SUV-driving set in
> general is the whole attitude they seem to have
> when they are driving. Because they are driving a
> bigger vehicle that is *safer* they don't pay as
> close attention to their driving as they should.
> So they drive faster, cut people off, etc. because
> "I'm in a bigger car, they have to let me in."
> I think this attitude adds to the unsafeness of
> SUVs.
Yeah, I see a lot of that, and it drives me crazy. I can't tell you how many times in the past year I've been cut off by, almost rammed into or driven off the road by people in trucks, vans and SUVs. Apparently they don't even feel any type of responsibility to check their blind spot before changing lanes, because hey, even if there is a smaller car there, they don't care!
I think there's a certain type of personality that craves a big vehicle...it's called a "fuck you, I'm invincible, so get the hell out of my way" attitude.
VLM
Re: SUV's no safer January 04, 2006 |
Nour Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What really irks me about the SUV-driving set in
> general is the whole attitude they seem to have
> when they are driving. Because they are driving a
> bigger vehicle that is *safer* they don't pay as
> close attention to their driving as they should.
> So they drive faster, cut people off, etc. because
> "I'm in a bigger car, they have to let me in."
> I think this attitude adds to the unsafeness of
> SUVs.
YES! My husband and I see this on a daily basis, and he has remarked that when some folks get into an SUV, their IQs drop a few points. LOL
BIGGER does not equal BETTER or SAFER. An SUV out on the highway is still a VEHICLE that can get hit and run into like any other car out there. Some SUV drivers also like to think that, because they're driving their monster death trap, they own the road. Assholes.
-------------------------------------------------------
> What really irks me about the SUV-driving set in
> general is the whole attitude they seem to have
> when they are driving. Because they are driving a
> bigger vehicle that is *safer* they don't pay as
> close attention to their driving as they should.
> So they drive faster, cut people off, etc. because
> "I'm in a bigger car, they have to let me in."
> I think this attitude adds to the unsafeness of
> SUVs.
YES! My husband and I see this on a daily basis, and he has remarked that when some folks get into an SUV, their IQs drop a few points. LOL
BIGGER does not equal BETTER or SAFER. An SUV out on the highway is still a VEHICLE that can get hit and run into like any other car out there. Some SUV drivers also like to think that, because they're driving their monster death trap, they own the road. Assholes.
Feh
Re: SUV's no safer January 06, 2006 |
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