Is an SUV safer than a car?

I definitely heard it hundreds of times. Someone bought an SUVAnd one of his first explanations And it is safer than the car. A big horse, whether it walks or not: In the US, the SUV culture exploded in the 1990s, and inevitably reached Europe within a few years. A large part of the cars on our roads are SUVs, and they aren’t necessarily safer than cars. Reality They are less safe In many cases it is good. After deconstructing that diesel equals thrift, we’re back with a rather uncomfortable truth.

Is the modern SUV safer than a car?

First of all, we must make it clear What is an SUV. Long ago they were vehicles derived directly from off-road vehicles, with which they shared a heavy tire of strings and cross members, a traditional building structure. Although it is still bigger than the car, Nowadays, its structure is almost identical to that of tourismThey share a monocoque and in many cases do not even own a four-wheel drive system. SUVs and crossovers are becoming more “cars” than ever, and many are even built on the same modular platforms.

EuroNCAP does not take into account the incompatibility of vehicles in frontal collisions.

But they are always taller compounds and have more mass. Without going further, the Audi Q5 is about 250 kg heavier than the Audi A4, despite having a similar size and similar interior space. Yes, there is a case in which An SUV is much safer than a car: when you have a frontal impact on it. It’s called shock compatibility or forward compatibility. The problem is that SUVs are usually incompatible with cars such as compact or utility vehicles in the event of a frontal collision with them.

Unfortunately, The car’s occupants are most affected– The car’s shock absorber structure is designed to absorb the shock from a similar vehicle, not from a much larger vehicle. In these cases, SUVs usually bypass these structures Sometimes riding on another vehicle – causing serious damage to its occupants. We’re talking about height, but also about mass: an SUV is heavier and transfers more force from the collision to a smaller car, and in extreme cases it uses it as a zone of deformation.

SUVs and crossovers are already more popular than other cars.

The advantages of an SUV end at this point, and indeed I find it violent to characterize the inappability of protective structures with an advantage. at A study conducted by Consumer Reports in the United States This problem is reflected in frontal collisions: an SUV or crossovers do not present any advantages in other types of crashes: they present, in fact, disadvantages. The real problem is that It is a type of vehicle that is more prone to those other accidentsFor a series of reasons, we’ll explain it in detail below.

Greater mass and length: your Achilles heel

SUV cars Longer and heavier From traditional tourism. This causes them to own a file Higher center of gravity, with greater risk of tipping The vehicle is in a very sudden state of maneuver or out of the way. This argument is indisputable. Despite the fact that all these days are equipped with stability control, ESP cannot avoid all dangerous situations nor can it distort the laws of physics. It should also be taken into account that it weighs more Cause too much driving deadlock, Especially patents when practicing evasive maneuvers.

It weighs more and is longer than the car: it takes longer to brake and is more likely to roll.

That is, it will be less effective in dangerous situations, Clumsy and less agile reflexes. We must also not forget that the brakes of an SUV and a crossover are usually not much larger than the brakes of a regular car, but a larger mass must be braked: this causes lengthened braking distances. If problems do occur, derailment is more likely, and once out of control, a vehicle with a center of gravity is more likely to roll closer to the ground.

One final factor to be taken into account is a double-edged sword. The Vision Before the SUVs and crossovers are better, we sit higher and control the traffic from the top. But we must take into account the human psyche: we feel protected by a metal casing with a small glass surface and a durable design. We feel brave, we feel strong, and This can lead us to adopt a more confident leadership styleThe more risk, the greater our chances of accidents eventually.

In SUVs we have a greater sense of safety, and this can lead us to drive more aggressively.

Is an SUV really unsafe?

This article could have been more true at the end of the 2000s, when SUV fashions exploded in Spain and they were all bigger than they are today. Currently Mid-size crossovers and compact SUVs are some of the best-selling cars in the world The world of SUVsIn fact, they have few differences with conventional cars, such as compact or saloon. It is heavier and taller, but the difference between the Renault Captur and the Renault Clio is negligible, both on the structural level and on the mass level.

To some extent, the SUV can also encourage us to drive in a more relaxed way.

SUVs and crossovers go through the same crash tests as other vehicles, and their active and passive safety systems are at a very high level. As an argument against the above, we can also discuss this The less agile dynamics of an SUV can make us drive more quietly. If we see our car showing inertia and apparently swinging in curves, instinctively and naturally, we will tend to drive it more quietly. In a way, it depends on the post we’re looking at the situation.

Urban SUVs and compact SUVs have become closer to utility or compact.

However, a few differences remain between the Renault Clio and Renault Kadjar. Or between Volkswagen Golf and Volkswagen Touareg. This article might make you think about whether or not to buy an SUV if you are thinking of buying a new car. but what I would like the myth that an SUV is a safer car to be dismantled Once and for all. I wish I could have written it ten years ago, but better late than not, they say.