[temp20160423]

This is a big reason why people buy SUV's. That, and the belief it's safer since momentum is mass*velocity, so the winner in a crash favors the heavier car. I think we need some more taxes to punish the externalities of driving taller/bigger/heavier vehicles.

[AnthonyMouse]

The sad thing is that they have the math wrong. Whether you live or die depends more on what the other person is driving than what you are. Car vs. car both people live, truck vs. truck both people die. The extra mass isn't making you safer, it's just killing the other guy because there is a limit to how much total force crumple zones and other safety features can absorb.

[PHGamer]

The IIHS disagrees... https://www.iihs.org/iihs/news/desktopnews/new-crash-tests-d... smaller cars arent as safe as bigger ones

[AnthonyMouse]

That's talking about "mini cars" like Smart that are so tiny they actually are compromising safety for weight, not normal sized sedans.

For example:

> The second factor is vehicle size, specifically the distance from the front of a vehicle to its occupant compartment. The longer this is, the lower the forces on the occupants.

A compact car and a crossover are typically about the same length. A "mini car" is shorter than that, which is what compromises its safety. And unlike making the vehicle heavier, making the nose longer doesn't harm the occupants of the other vehicle in a two party collision, and does actually help you in a collision with a massive stationary object (e.g. overpass) whereas weight in that case does almost nothing.