Sorry folks, the thread was getting off topic and I don't care to read offensive remarks from one poster to another.
I have tried to make sense of all the postings on SUV safety. The people who are best qualified to discuss the saftey factor of any vehicle are police, insurance adjusters, emergency workers, crash test dummies etc. I'm not one of those. I doubt most of the posters are either. I have read some postings and there are some valid and consistent points. Size does matter.
A different look at vehicle safety analogy: Guns don't kill people. People kill people.
Vehicles are no different. They can be weapons if not operated safely and properly. The subcompact Firefly is just as safe as a Hummer (when there's no one behind the wheel).
I don't drive an SUV, I don't tailgate, I drive at a safe speed. If we all changed our way of thinking we would realize it is us, the driver, that determines the safety of a vehicle.
Some common sense tips to keep the roads safer:
- Keep your vehicle tuned and inspected regularly
- Practice safe driving habits. Consult a driver safety handbook. Even a driver with 20 years experience can learn something new.
- Yield to emergency workers. There are far too many people who don't pull over and stop to make way for emergency vehicles. The real bad ones use the clear lane, vacated by the good ones, as a passing lane. Get the plate and report to police.
- NEVER NEVER NEVER use a cellphone while in motion. If it rings, ignore it. When it's safe, you can return the call. Even in a parking lot, I have had a few close calls by 5 m.p.h. drivers on a cell phone. I saw a guy on a cellphone run into a pole.
- Report bad drivers to local police. They will do something.
There are a lot of websites full of driver safety tips. Just do a search on "driver safety"
Phil