SUV Psychology and Studies

Here's an interesting read: Big and Bad: How the SUV Ran Over Automotive Safety.

It's interesting to see the points about minivans and cars being designed to a standard which minimizes injury, while SUVs are based on pickup trucks which are crude and engineered less for passenger safety and more for hauling capacity. The article also points out that active participation in driving and a responsive vehicle can be safer for drivers, pedestrians, and passengers, since it can better avoid accidents in the first place. Too many people have resigned to the thought that they can't avoid it and may as well hope to run over it.

Many aspects of the SUV cater to our deepest notions of safety, but not the facts, statistics, or engineering that can prove a vehicle's safety. It's a false feeling of safety, as statistically, injuries are more common, and it's inconsiderate, as the handling endangers other people (see the Consumer Reports part of the article).

I'm definitely still buying a minivan.