The New York Times, "Safety Gap Grows Wider Between S.U.V.'s and Cars"

          The gap in safety between sport utility vehicles and passenger cars last year was the widest yet recorded, according to new federal traffic data. People driving or riding in a sport utility vehicle in 2003 were nearly 11 percent more likely to die in an accident than people in cars, the figures show.
          Over all, crash fatalities declined across the board in 2003 to the lowest levels in six years, the government figures show, with 42,643 people killed in traffic accidents in the United States. Much of the decline appeared to come from fewer people driving drunk and more people buckling up. But the United States has not made as much progress as some other developed nations, because rates of seat belt use remain lower here and because of the growing numbers of SUV's and pickup trucks, which tend to pose greater hazards than cars both to their occupants and to others on the road.
          The main reason for the safety gap in SUV and car fatalities, according to federal regulators, is that SUV's are more likely to roll over, a particularly deadly accident event that is a symptom of their higher ground clearance. "It's largely a function of the rollover problem," said Rae Tyson, a spokesman for the traffic agency. "In certain types of crashes, you're more likely to be better off in an SUV, but that is offset by the fact the you're more likely to roll over."
          The traffic safety agency reported last week that there were 16.42 deaths of SUV occupants in accidents last year for every 100,000 registered SUV's. The figure for passenger cars was 14.85 deaths for each 100,000 registered; pickups were slightly higher than cars at 15.17 deaths per 100,000, while vans were lowest at 11.2 occupant deaths for every 100,000 registered.