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Technology has certainly improved rollover risk dramatically and we’re all very thankful for that.
Looking at the data it is very true, from the IIHS, that overall death rates for SUV as a vehicle type is quite low from that link you cited.
But if you look at those quotes they do not address the fact that SUVs still do rollover much more so than cars. Again physics. (I don’t see how our current level of technology can break the law of physics/equations….) Those quotes specifically tout the low death rate, which is true…and the lower rollover risk than before…which is also true.
But the IIHS states this on their own website regarding rollover risk for SUV:
source: http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/rollover-crashes/qanda
“Are rollovers more common for SUVs than for other vehicles?
Rollovers are much more common for SUVs and pickups than for cars, and more common for SUVs than for pickups. In 2014, 50 percent of SUV occupants killed in crashes were in vehicles that rolled over. In comparison, 44 percent of deaths in pickups and 22 percent of deaths in cars were in rollovers.
Pickups and SUVs tend to be involved in rollovers more frequently than cars largely due to the physical differences of these vehicles. SUVs and pickups are taller than cars and have greater ground clearance, causing their mass to be distributed higher off the road relative to the width of the vehicle. Additional passengers and cargo can increase the center of gravity even more. Other things being equal, a vehicle with a higher center of gravity is more prone to roll over than a lower-riding vehicle. 2
Driver behavior may contribute to the increased rollover involvement rate of SUVs and pickups. Pickups and SUVs are more likely than cars to be driven on rural roads, where rollovers occur more frequently. Lower belt use among pickup occupants 3 means they are more likely to be seriously or fatally injured when rollovers occur.”
The sheer number of fatalities by pure number are higher due to more people buying them these days but the rates are lower.
“How has the number of rollover fatalities changed over time?
The number of fatalities in rollover crashes on U.S. roads increased as SUVs became more popular. However, the newest SUVs have much lower rollover fatality rates than earlier models and even have lower rates than the newest cars. For 1-3-year-old passenger vehicles of all types, the rollover fatality rate has declined from 27 driver deaths per million registered vehicles in 2000 to 6 deaths per million in 2014. “
Looks like rollovers overall are a small % of crash types, about 2%, but they are quite deadly. And with the ESC the cars that STILL rollover are probably more severe/harsh in their circumstances leading to likely more serious crashes. Definitely a safe behavior is to always wear seatbelts and drive safely with proper maintenance/tires and not to always trust technology to save you.
In general given the rarity of the rollovers, even though SUVs are more likely to do so than cars, and given that in other crashes SUVs will fare better I do see a logical reason to go for SUVs rather than smaller/lighter cars. Whether it’s worth it financially is up to the buyer. I myself am very intrigued by this and I’ll likely look at SUVs as a potential vehicle type in my future car buying list.
You’ll settle on an SUV, its just the overall best mix of features and safety. Picking even the one spot that its not as good at is way overshadowed by the relative infrequency of that event. Nothings perfect. There are lots of reasonably priced SUVs, you dont have to have the biggest or a Lexus, its more the mass that matters and Im sure Toyotas are very similar to their Lexus counterparts.
Indeed. Perhaps smaller sized SUVs would be viable as well? CR-V or RAV4. Though of course a Toyota Sequoia/Land Cruiser is always a possibility. Defnitely would go for a Toyota Land Cruiser as it is essentially same as a Lexus LX. Though the sticker price on Land Cruiser is still quite a bit. Will definitely need to look in the used market for these
. There was a Comedians in Cars getting Coffee episode with Jimmy Fallon and I want to say they were driving a classic Corvette, and Fallon asked Seinfeld if he worries about the lack of belts, airbags, etc. Seinfeld said something to the effect of "how often do you use the airbags?" and that's pretty true. :lol:
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