[Ecky]

With regards to frame vehicles being safer, it's true that in a head-on collision with a smaller vehicle, a truck's occupants will often fare better than the smaller vehicle's. Being the owner of said smaller car, I'm personally of the opinion that I'd rather people didn't drive trucks as often on public roads (when not necessary) because it makes everyone else less safe. However, it's legal and it's also anyone's right to drive whatever they want.

In other types of accidents, trucks are not more safe. For instance, when hitting a tree, barricade or building, the inertial forces will be the same whether you're in a truck or a car, and the extra weight won't make any difference. In other cases, cars are preferable as they are far less likely to roll than taller vehicles, due to their lower center of gravity. I've rolled an SUV before (ice patch), and it would not have have happened had I been in a smaller vehicle. Probably the most important factor though, is maneuverability; I've avoided a few accidents which I'm certain would have been unavoidable in my older F-150. The stopping distance in wet weather was terrible in that truck, and the rear was prone to breaking loose. Swerving out of the way of a driver pulling into my lane? Not a good idea in a truck, especially if it's wet, but totally doable in my Insight.