Associated Press, "Design changes reduce deaths in vehicles struck by SUVs, pickups"

          Design changes in sport utility vehicles and pickups have reduced deaths in cars struck by the large vehicles, a study says. The number of deaths of drivers in cars caught in side-impact crashes with SUVs dropped nearly 50 percent when automakers lowered the height of SUVs or added impact-absorbing bars below the front bumpers, said the report by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
          Automakers agreed in 2003 to improve the compatibility of vehicles amid concerns that SUVs or pickups dangerously ride up atop cars in crashes and threaten passenger compartments. The study was the first to examine death rates in cars involved in crashes with SUVs and pickups that comply with the agreement versus vehicles that do not yet meet the guidelines. "It looks like these changes are going to reduce the risk to car occupants, but it's too early to say exactly how much," said Adrian Lund, president of the Institute, which is funded by the insurance industry.