2006/08/17

Small car crash vs SUV rollovers

At wired, there are lots of comments for the blog "Fuel Efficiency Won't Kill You". Unfortunately, like most discussions [both online and offline], people are just spouting opinions.

If you read IIHS Q&A of Rollover and roof crush:
4. How has the number of rollover fatalities changed over time? [...] Compared with other crash types, the percentage of fatalities in rollover crashes for each vehicle type has remained relatively unchanged.
Things haven't changed all that much when it comes to rollover accidents. No news here, move along.

If you look at the death stats up to 2004, you'll find that smaller cars are more dangerous in multi-vehicle accidents. Single vehicle accidents are more equal across the vehicle types, so as long as the driver is in control and isn't too agressive, this is a non-factor.