Car Accidents, Personal Injury
We all want to be safe on the road. From taking care of trucks to avoiding accident-prone spots on Ohio roads, we do what we can to minimize our risk of getting in an accident. We also have to consider safety when we’re choosing a vehicle. If you do get in a crash, you want your car to be designed to keep you as safe as possible. Find out if SUVs are safer than cars or not.
SUV was first applied to cars with larger passenger and trunk compartments that could also often drive over rougher terrain. SUVs are common for larger families or those who like to explore the outdoors.
SUVs include many vehicles, including smaller ones such as the Ford Ecosport, larger luxury vehicles such as the Range Rover, and sports cars like the Porsche Cayenne.
While many vehicles fall into the category, a few things link SUVs and mark them out from other types of vehicles:
A sedan is a car with two rows of seats, a fixed roof, and three separate compartments: engine, driver/passenger, and cargo. Honda Civic and the Toyota Camry are examples of the best-selling sedans in the current market.
In the traditional market, there was a clear distinction between a sedan and its smaller cousin, a coupe.
In the current market, features such as fuel efficiency and manufacturers’ integrated production systems have made differences between sedans, coupe, and even a smaller SUV less distinct.
A sedan may be ideal if you choose the vehicle based on gas mileage. Aerodynamics plays a significant part in determining your gas mileage. Because most SUVs are taller with higher ground clearance, they’re not as aerodynamic as their lower, more compact counterparts.
Even so, most manufacturers are designing hybrid gas-electric SUVs that offer better gas mileage and the traditional extra space and power of SUVs.
Unlike sedans, SUVs boast an enhanced storage capacity. As such, SUVs are perfect for large families and people who love sports and the outdoors, enabling them to bring along large-sized equipment such as kayaks, surfboards, tents, and mountain bikes.
While some SUVs have limited cargo space, almost all have the power to pull a trailer.
Generally, most sedans are more affordable than SUVs and trucks. A sedan is less expensive to build, allowing the automaker to sell it at a lower price.
Lastly, you may opt for a sedan because it is easier to find a parking space. SUVs are less maneuverable and more challenging to parallel park in tight spaces than sedans.
So, what types of vehicles are safest?
One important factor that affects the safety of a vehicle is its size. With more metal between them and the road, SUV drivers enjoy a higher rate of safety than those in sedans and smaller cars, which may be more easily damaged. With otherwise equal safety features (such as side airbags and anti-lock breaks), SUVs typically have the edge over smaller cars when it comes to safety.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that a total of 22,543 passenger vehicle occupants died in 2015, 26% fewer than in 1975. This study also showed a dramatic change in the types of vehicles involved in crashes since 1975. Regular car fatalities were down almost 50%, while SUV and pickup truck fatalities have increased significantly, with the likelihood of SUV accidents 10 times as high.
While this seems like a drastic increase in SUV and pickup truck accidents compared to other automobiles, the increase in SUV-related accident deaths can be attributed to the rapidly growing popularity of SUVs over that period of time. The study also took into account that most of the fatalities in larger vehicles were the result of single-car accidents and their size made deaths less likely in crashes involving multiple-vehicle crashes. In that study, 58% of passenger-vehicle occupant deaths (2015) involved regular cars, 24% were SUVs, and coming in last were pickup accidents at 17%.
Ultimately the study found that in the years since 1979, rates in general involving occupant deaths per million registered cars have decreased across the board. In short, cars are getting safer overall, magnifying the safety differences between vehicles of different sizes.
Much of the improvement of safety standards on cars over the past few decades is owed to crash testing. In the United States, more than 2.35 million people are injured each year in vehicle accidents. Some of those accidents occur because of negligence or bad drivers, or tough weather conditions. Some occur because of recalled equipment. However, all of the cars involved in accidents have some pre-determined risk before getting behind the wheel based on crash test ratings.
Both IIHS and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conduct crash tests to determine potential injuries to drivers. Vehicles’ safety features are then assessed by each agency — NHTSA tests for rollover, side, and front crashes, while IIHS tests for side impacts and frontal-offset impacts. While both tests are different, looking at the data from each and how that car you’ve been eyeing at the dealership stacks up could affect your purchasing decision.
One of the most popular models of crash test dummies NHTSA developed in the 1970s is still being used today. However, as Americans’ lifestyles have changed since then — we’re living longer, and, if we’re honest with ourselves, larger (Ohioans get into a surprising amount of accidents in front of fast-food restaurants) — even newer crash test models are in the works to help better replicate crash situations and potential injuries for both older drivers as well as heavier drivers.
Much like the different sizes of humans, including small children, can be a factor in the types of injuries received in a car crash, so can the size of a vehicle. A study by IIHS published in the New York Times found that while the occasional smaller car did well in head-on collision tests; very few of them “received high marks in both side- and rear-crash tests.” Small cars tend to crumple when impacted violently and airbags can only do so much in the face of rapidly bending metal.
Adrian Lund, the head of the institute who commissioned the study, had this to say: “A good-scoring small and lightweight car is not nearly as good as a good-scoring midsize car — that’s just the law of physics.” With less space between the driver and the physical body of the car, the chances of a grievous injury while driving a small vehicle greatly increase. When up against something like an SUV or a pickup in a direct collision, the car’s smaller size can bring the driver closer to the dangerous bumpers and large wheels of their roadside contemporaries, also increasing the risk of death.
Also, the characteristics of larger cars can affect the amount of collateral damage that occurs in a crash. For example, larger cars are particularly safe for passengers sitting in the back seat. In the Insurance Institute study, only 8% of all vehicle fatalities involved passengers in the back seats. So, large cars are safer for all passengers, but especially for those in the back seat.
This information seems to matter very little to potential car buyers, however. A manager at an auto dealership interviewed by the Times stated parents were usually looking for the cheapest option available to them when buying their children a first automobile and see the costly addition of side airbags as a frivolous expense. He recommends that with smaller cars, it is important to try and invest in as many safety features as possible. While you can save money in the short term with a lighter automobile’s superior gas mileage on average, the automotive and medical costs of an accident can erase all of those saving in an instant — a little increase in gas mileage and up-front costs isn’t worth a life.
A recent study by the University of Buffalo that was published in Consumer Reports reported that “In car vs. SUV head-on crashes… the odds of death were 7.6 times higher for the car driver than the SUV driver.” They thoroughly examined the federal government’s auto death database, the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, and found that what type of car you buy is just as important as what safety features you invest in. These findings point to SUVs being a safer bet, as their sheer size affords the driver a certain amount of protection. However, SUVs have their own safety concerns, as SUVs often have a high center of gravity, causing deaths when rollovers occur.
When it comes down to it, it seems that a larger car is often safer in accidents. Of course, there are other factors that should be accounted for. For instance, a smaller car with up-to-date safety equipment such as anti-lock brakes and high scores on Consumer Reports tests like accident avoidance and wet/dry braking can be safer than an older SUV with less updated safety equipment. In addition, smaller cars may make more sense in a large city where traffic and parking are often an issue. You’ll need to weigh your own needs and options.
In all, evidence suggests that bigger cars are simply safer. It’s intuitive — the more car between you and the road and other vehicles, the better. No matter what size of car you choose, you should seriously consider side airbags and other optional safety features, all of which can significantly reduce your risk of a crash.
No car, no matter the safety features involved, is immune from operator error. Whatever type of car you drive, you should always wear a seat belt, maintain a safe rate of speed, and skip alcohol before operating a vehicle. Focus only on driving — don’t look at your phone or fiddle with a GPS. Exercising common sense can make the difference between surviving an accident and avoiding the accident entirely.
In a car accident, there is a direct blow or jolt to the head or upper body. If an object goes through the brain tissue, such as a shattered piece of skull, it can also cause a brain injury. Many head or brain injuries create a long-term impact on the victim’s life.
Examples of head and brain injuries include:
Car accident victims who sustain severe head injuries exhibit various symptoms, including loss of consciousness, severe headaches, slurred speech, and difficulty with walking.
Even a minor car accident can leave people with various shoulder injuries with mild or severe effects. Most shoulder injuries occur due to the strain of the seatbelt. If you experience pain after an accident, an examination from a doctor can reveal any injury.
The injury may worsen if untreated. Some of the common shoulder injuries after a car accident include:
Car accidents expose drivers and passengers to the risk of broken bones, including limbs. While some broken bones may be apparent, some are not. As such, you may not notice a broken bone until you’ve left the accident scene.
Here are a few examples of arm and leg injuries:
Damage to the spinal cord or the bones surrounding it, known as vertebrae, can cause a spinal cord injury. Damage to the ligaments or disks of the spinal column may also cause an injury.
In a car accident, a sudden or traumatic blow to the spine can fracture, dislocate, crush, or dislocate one or more vertebrae.
A spinal cord injury can trigger a few complications, including:
When your car is hit from behind, the head is thrown forward and backward quickly, which can damage ligaments, muscles, and sometimes nerves in the neck.
Doctors identify neck injuries with shooting pain, which includes a burning or stinging sensation and sometimes numbness or tingling that can indicate a pinched nerve.
Here are the common types of neck injuries:
Have you been in an automobile accident? We can help. Our experienced Dayton car accident attorneys can help you claim compensation for your injuries and property damage. Contact us today for a free case evaluation and consultation to learn more about your options.
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Before establishing Dyer, Garofalo, Mann & Schultz L.P.A., Doug Mann, a top Ohio Injury Attorney served as a bodily injury claims adjuster at a major insurance firm. With over 40+ years of experience, Doug’s background has proven invaluable in securing maximum cash settlements for his clients swiftly. Since leaving the insurance industry, Doug has devoted his entire legal career to assisting injured clients during their times of greatest need.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Founding Partner, Doug Mann who has more than 20 years of legal experience as a practicing personal injury attorney.
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