Thread: SUV vs compact for safety?

My friend and I have been getting into debates over safety of car classes. I personally believe SUVs are safer due to the fact that there is more metal between the occupants and the impact to avoid injuries. He however thinks that smaller cars are safer due to their ability to avoid accidents.
So we just put it down to this simple quesiton,

You (or your wife) drives down the metro Atlanta Highway of 285 (speeds average 65-70mph) everyday to drop the kids to school. Would you rather put your infant in the backseat of a Suburban or Ford Fiesta? Im not asking for a personal preference of which car fits the lifestyle more just which car you would put your child in the back seat of? As in which one you feel more comfortable carrying your kids everywhere. thank you!

A vehicle called an "SUV" is less safe, because vehicles with that name crash more. Interestingly, this is not because of anything to do with the metal in the vehicle. One car manufacturer told some customers that its vehicle was an "SUV" and told other customers that it was a "minivan". The vehicles were the same, except for the name. The customers told that they were getting an "SUV" crashed more than the customers told that they were getting a "minivan", even though the vehicles were actually the same, except for the name. It is thought that this is because mothers were more likely to buy the vehicles if they were told that they were minivans, and tended to drive more carefully, and single men were more likely to buy the vehicles if they were told that they were SUVs, and tended to drive more recklessly. Therefore, it is theoretically possible that an "SUV" might be safe, if a mother was driving it.

Hi!
There is a general misconception about SUVs being safer than sedans. With normal driving conditions in a collision between a large-size sports utility vehicle like a Cadillac Escalade and a smaller vehicle like the Fiesta you mentioned, the likelihood of fatality in the Fiesta is higher, however; sedans are safer than SUVs. Why?

In a SUV you have passive safety. In a vehicle collision the occupants are generally safer in the heavier vehicle.

In a smaller vehicle, however, there is active safety. Faster breaking systems and the general maneuverability of smaller vehicles allow them to avoid collision.

Data shows that the likelihood of an owner of a SUV to die is about one and a half times higher than an owner of a sedan. While SUVs are safer in collisions, they are much much more accident-prone. This is why I myself would put my child into a smaller car.

the suburban wheighs a lot more so it might get destroyed easier depending on the crash. But if your in the middle of two cars when you crash with the focus your screwed. But the the suburban is easier to roll over.. in the end I would pick the suburnban because let look at different cars.. would you rather be in a smart car or a Honda accord?

The are both really safe, (modern ones). The thing is the SUV's are more prone to rolling over. Compacts have a more uniboday type of frame. So the compact would be better. Going into suv's 2005ish and back not so safe. Most SUV manufacturers are trying to get there 5 star safety rating, same with compacts.