• 04
  • October
    2011

When sport utility vehicles started becoming popular in the mid-1990s, they were touted for their size, hauling capacity and ownership of the road. However, while the SUV's stature may have inspired confidence in its drivers, it often spelled danger for motorists traveling in smaller vehicles. Thousands of motorists were killed in collisions with SUVs - deaths the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said would have been avoided if the smaller vehicle had collided with a car of its own size.

Thankfully, this is no longer the case. A study released last month by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows that safety measures adopted by the auto industry in 2003 have greatly reduced the rate of fatal car accidents between SUVs and smaller vehicles.

In total, 32,788 people died in car accidents in 2010. This is the lowest number of total fatalities in the United States since 1949.

The study detailed a number of redesigns that have helped reduce fatalities in collisions between SUVs and smaller vehicles. The most important has been the lowering of SUVs' front bumpers. This helps to prevent "submarine" type accidents, where the smaller vehicle gets lodged underneath the SUV.

Drivers Can Help Protect Themselves by Choosing Cars Carefully

However, the study also revealed that the decrease in fatal accidents is due, in large part, to new safety features that have become increasingly popular on vehicles large and small. Drivers are much less likely to die in a motor vehicle accident if their vehicle has front and side airbags and electronic stability control.

Drivers wishing to protect themselves and their families from the dangers of car accidents are well-advised to choose a vehicle that has this trio of safety features. Although these features greatly increase occupant safety, they cannot be found on all vehicles. Front airbags have been standard for quite some time, but side airbags will not be mandatory until 2013. Electronic stability control (ESC) has been offered on new vehicles for several years, but will not be required until the 2012 model year.

Drivers should be careful when choosing a new or used vehicle and should make sure to ask about all of the safety features. This study clearly shows that new technology is about more than just the latest fad - it can mean the difference between life and death.

Source: The Washington Post, "Safety Features Reduce Deaths in Crashes Between Cars and SUVs, Study Says," Ashley Halsey III, Sep. 28, 2011.