Do SUV's pose a danger to other motorist on city roads and highways?

The versatility and the rugged appeal of the SUV's has propelled sales of these vehicles in US.

A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (USA) report, brings out some alarming statistics concerning safety of motorists.

Extracts of the report -

>>> There are two characteristics of LTVs that could potentially drive fatalities higher: rollover propensity and compatibility. In fatal crashes, SUVs are twice as likely to have rolled over than passenger cars. A rollover increases the likelihood of occupant ejection, fatality or injury.

>>> Compatibility involves differences in vehicle characteristics between passenger cars and LTVs such as weight, height off the ground, geometry and stiffness. NHTSA crash statistics demonstrate that, in side impact crashes, LTVs are more injurious as a striking vehicle than are passenger cars. For example, when LTVs strike passenger cars on the left side, the risk of death to the car driver can be 30 times higher than the risk to the LTV occupant. This compares to a driver fatality ratio of 6.6 to 1 in car-to-car left side impact crashes.

>>> The number of multi vehicle crash fatalities attributable to LTV-car crashes has been increasing while those attributable to car-car crashes has been decreasing. However, it is not known whether this trend is reflecting the increased numbers of LTVs, the disparity in engineering characteristics between LTVs and passenger cars, or other factors such as vehicle use and driving behaviors.

>>> Although vehicle weight is only one characteristic distinguishing LTVs from cars, it is most often cited when discussing the issue of vehicle incompatibility. In general, when heavy vehicles strike lighter vehicles the overwhelming majority of fatalities occur in lighter vehicles.