SUVs No Safer Than Passenger Cars for Kids During Crash

Ted_Hutchinson

SUVs No Safer Than Passenger Cars for Kids During Crash
Children are no safer in a hefty SUV during a crash than they would be in a standard sedan, according to researchers here.

One of the reasons I've heard in justification for using a sport utility vehicles, 4wd gas guzzling tank is that it is a safer option for your family children in particular. Well this report shows that this just isn't the case.

Flimber

At least it's empirical data but if a Range Rover and a Ford Fiesta were ever to meet head on which would you rather be in ? Even NCAP ratings don't take this into account. Most 4x4's would scythe through most normal cars (or rather their occupants) as their chassis (if they have one) is at body level for the majority of other drivers and passengers.

Okay, I'm exaggerating but if 4x4's did have scythes fitted instead of Bullbars they'd make a mess of most other vehicles and their occupants. In the event of a collision, what's a 'normal' car going to do the occupants of a Merc ML-270 ? Or a Land Rover Discovery ? Or a Nissan Patrol ? Or a Ford Explorer ? Or a Vauxhall Frontera ? Or a Porsche Cayenne ? Or a VW Tourano ? Or an Isuzu Trooper ?

How about 'moderate risk of ankle injury and severe blood splatter from what's left of the driver of the smaller car' for an answer ?

Mike.

geo555

Its US research, so not really relevant in our country. Road conditions are different, handling set up is different and most importantly, the lack of national child seat regulations. If you checked rollover data for SUVs, American models faired worse.

Wig

I believe the top safety standard is currently 5star NCAP, One of the cars that qualify - Toyota Yaris.

Most 4x4 are 4 stars some are 3 stars not many are 5 stars

http://www.euroncap.com/content/safety_ratings/ratings.php?id1=9

Vauxhall Frontera is 3 stars. I'd rather be in a 5 star exec than a Frontera. The report compares Sedans which are saloons not minis

Flimber

Wig wrote:

I believe the top safety standard is currently 5star NCAP, One of the cars that qualify - Toyota Yaris.

Most 4x4 are 4 stars some are 3 stars not many are 5 stars

http://www.euroncap.com/content/safety_ratings/ratings.php?id1=9

Fine for testing against a non-deformable concrete block impact but what you might hit in the real world can bend, flex, crumple and even explode.

A 4x4 is heavier than yer average (more mass equates to more momentum); stiffer than yer average (even 'monococque' models); and, in a collision, you sit higher up than the 'competition'. Logically, in a crash scenario, the 4x4 driver is safer as more crash forces will be transferred to the smaller, lighter vehicle than his; the smaller car will probably deform more easily and thus be more likely to trap, kill or maim the occupants; and these same occupants have a red-hot engine at head-height, along with the substantially stiffer, bone-pulverising chassis of the 4x4 to contend with.

The point is, in the real world you are more likely to hit another car than a concrete block under laboratory conditions. It's this 'relativity' of the vehicles which is important and 4x4's are at an advantage in the real world.

If someone thinks I'm wrong then say so, this is just my opinion after all.

scottishlizzie

I think you're probably right but what scares me most is the view that I've heard from a number of 4x4 drivers (mainly women I hasten to add) that they don't really feel totally in control of such a large vehicle, they certainly can't judge it's width when trying to pass other cars but they really don't care that much because they're alright in their big 4x4. They neither think nor care about the drivers or passengers of other vehicles, or their children. We've all seen them barging their way through traffic oblivious to everyone else. It's totally irresponsible driving and it makes me fume.

Wig

The point of the tests is that for a given force what is the damage. And how does the damage relate to the potential safety of the occupants. The Toyota Yaris fares better than a frontera for any given force. I'd rather be in a Yaris.

I can't comment any more than that because I don't know about the testing in detail, and I've never seen the results of those tests.

rdwarr

But the Chysler Voyager is a big heavy thing and that's about the only vehicle ever to score 0% in a crash test! Safest car I've ever had was a big Jag Saloon. There were a couple of occasions where other cars destroyed themselves bouncing off it.

tomstickland

SUVs are an ambomination regardless of their crash performance. Tall, wide, heavy, bouncy etc.