Some people buy larger vehicles solely for the carrying capacity. If you have lots of kids, a compact car might be an awkward fit for your family. Some buy larger vehicles because they need to tow a boat or trailer. However, many people buy larger vehicles because of the safety advantages. In a collision, bigger seems better. But is that really true?
Cars Are Growing Fast
The tendency to associate size with safety is driving a national trend: Cars are getting bigger, in general. Some of that is the result of mandatory safety equipment. Side airbags, for instance, may require a vehicle to be a few inches larger than it otherwise would have been. Some of it is just consumer preference. Size makes people feel safe.
SUVs and Pedestrians
There is growing data that the move toward larger vehicles is particularly harmful to pedestrians. This could be due to the height of the hood, the driver’s feeling of invulnerability or simply the sightlines and angles posed by SUVs. They pose twice the danger to pedestrians as regular cars. Big cars mean big problems for anyone traveling on foot.
Parents face a difficult decision when their children reach driving age. You know your child is more likely to survive a crash behind the wheel of a massive SUV. Then again, your child may be more likely to cause a crash, potentially taking the lives of others in that same SUV.
There is no question that people in large vehicles fare better in crashes. There is also no question that teen drivers are disproportionately responsible for car accidents, particularly fatal car wrecks. So when parents pick big cars for their teen drivers, they maximize the damage done by the most dangerous drivers on the road.
Pickup Trucks and Cars
SUVs endanger pedestrians and pickups endanger cars. Safety changes have made SUVs less deadly when they collide with cars. But those changes haven’t affected the high rates of fatality for car drivers in collisions with trucks.
Again, consumers don’t weigh the damage they will suffer in a crash against the harm they will cause in one. Famously, most people consider themselves above-average drivers. Statistically, that’s impossible. Half of us are below average, and it just might be the half driving the largest vehicles.
Contact an Experienced Attorney After a Car Accident
If you have suffered an injury in an auto accident, you need to speak to an attorney about your rights. At The Fell Law Firm, we help accident victims get the compensation they deserve. Our Texas personal injury lawyers will aggressively protect your rights. Contact us online or call us at 972-450-1418 to schedule a consultation.
