> I do not think that was the message. Look at stats in the article that
> present deaths (drivers and others) per million vehicles. They are
> three times as high (BOTH for drivers and others!) for SUVs than for
> some other vehicles (I do not have the article handy).
>
> The reason for that is the sheer physical properties of these
> monstrosities - the mass which makes steering a five ton vehicle is more
> difficult than steering a two ton one, regardless of the driving skill),
> the high centre of gravity which make it more prone for rollovers, and
> the positioning of the front wheel (necessary for all terrain driving,
> which these monstrosities purport to be) which makes the vehicle very
> unstable when it hits rail guard along the road.
There's no doubt that SUVs' proneness to rollovers and lack of maneuverability leads to many fatalities. I should've noted that in my post. However, from the article I got the impression that the "yee hah" attitude of many SUV drivers (exemplified in the article by the engineer's anecdote about driving way too fast for conditions in his recently purchased Range Rover) is perhaps the biggest problem for those who ride in them. One of the article's main points is that driver behavior is far more important to driver safety than many recognize.
> But I think that the most interesting aspect of that article (and the
> book on which it is based) is what it tells about American mentality to
> which these monstrosities are designed to appeal: fear and low
> self-confidence coupled with a desire to achieve safety through
> isolation from the supposed danger and intimidation of others. That is
> just the classical US-er as seen through an outside observer's eyes as
> well as those of some more insightful insiders - such as Michael Moore
> in _Bowling for Columbine_ where he links gun violence to pervasive fear
> in the US society, or Barry Glassner in _The culture of fear_.
>
> There is nothing more dangerous than a fearful coward equipped with
> modern technology.
>
> Wojtek
Well, yes, but the road _ought_ to be a fearful place to be. It's one of the main killers of those under the age of fifty, right?
-- Luke