Which is Safer, SUVs or Sedans?
Posted on Nov 1, 2016 7:10am PDT
There is a hot debate about SUVs vs. sedans, and which one is safer. If you've ever wondered if an SUV is really safer than a sedan, we're going to shed a little light on the subject. From the latest, economical sedans to gas-guzzling SUVs, which one will protect you the best?
Let's take a look at SUVs; we already know that they're heavier and larger than sedans, so what does that mean in terms of safety? According to Richard Rowe from TopSpeed, "In any given collision between a car and an SUV, the driver and passengers in the SUV are 4 to 7 times more likely to walk away than the driver of the car."
When 'Safety' is the Top Priority
If you have children and safety is your top priority, then know that SUVs are great at protecting kids, even compared to a similar-sized minivan. According to Rowe, "SUVs are practically armored personnel carriers."
What about teen drivers and the elderly? Would they be safer in an SUV? Since these categories of drivers can be compared to human wrecking balls who are very likely to cause an accident, SUVs would be the safest choice if they make those inevitable mistakes.
But, many experts believe that elderly drivers do better with sedans do to the fact that they're easier to control, especially while turning. If an elderly driver opts for a sedan over an SUV, they should purchase a new vehicle that's equipped with the most state-of-the-art safety technology, and one that meets the highest crash standards.
While vehicle size and weight are important safety factors, you also want to consider the area where you live. What types of cars do people drive around you? If you live in an area where there are mostly cars, you may want to drive a car. If you live in an area filled with SUVs and pickups, then you better drive an SUV or truck. You don't want to be a mouse among elephants, because eventually you could get squashed.
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