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Old 02-16-2008, 09:41 PM   #43 (permalink)
Randy
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I think the IIHS is the main source of death statistics, the latest are in special report 42-4 on this page. They're really all over the map in safety. A Golf is about as safe as the F350 2wd for example. Another interesting report is 40-5, which is on SUV vs. car crashes: for the most part the SUV "wins" by increasing deaths in the car, not by making its own passengers safer.

Note that the IIHS likes bigger, heavier vehicles. They lobbied for the new CAFE standards where larger vehicles can get lower mileage. The reason is pretty simple: deaths are rare, but small crashes with minor injuries (e.g. whiplash) are common. So those claims are more expensive, and they have a much more direct relationship to weight and size.
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