It might seem like it would be obvious that larger vehicles tend to fare better when a crash takes place, but a new study from the University of Buffalo backs up that idea for those still unsure.
By combing through the circumstances surrounding a whopping 85,000 collisions, researchers were able to deduce that those persons in a Sport Utility Vehicle at the time of a crash have a much greater chance of surviving the accident. For drivers of smaller vehicles that don’t have the same girth behind them as do SUVs, the threat of a fatality becomes far greater.
What’s perhaps most interesting about this study is what it says about safety ratings of motor vehicles. Many people look to the safety ratings when evaluating what kind of vehicle they’re going to purchase. A consumer might opt for a sedan-type automobile with a high safety rating versus an SUV with a relatively low one.
But the researchers suggest that a collision between the two types of vehicle will still favor the SUV. Because of the SUV’s size in comparison to the other vehicle, the driver of the larger vehicle is said to have a better chance of surviving. So although you certainly would want to purchase an automobile with the highest safety ratings possible, a high-speed crash with an SUV could still favor the latter vehicle.