Even with stability control, a SUV is inherently more prone to stability issues like rollovers – it’s a simple consequence of having a much higher center of gravity, and there’s nothing short of repealing the laws of physics that can correct that. They may have improved their handling, but the average SUV still is incapable of emergency lane changes and avoidance maneuvers with anything like the agility of a smaller vehicle. Inertia sees to that.
Another issue is that, being heavier, they have longer stopping distances than smaller vehicles (generally about 20-25% longer stopping distances) – pesky inertia again.
And as for the safety issue – well, yes, in a normal crash, they are going to be safer on average because they are often substantially larger than the vehicles they hit or are hit by. Fewer SUVs on the road and that advantage disappears. With modern manufacturing and design, smaller cars can be just as safe in collisions with similarly weighted vehicles. By the exact same logic, btw, SUVs are inherently MORE hazardous to be around if you are in a smaller vehicle.
Oh, and equalizer? You’d be surprised how many engineers and scientists are liberals – and we don’t drive Yugos.
