Federal Fatality Data Show Positive SUV Safety Trends
WASHINGTON, Sept. 13, 2005 -- An unmistakably favorable trend for SUV safety was demonstrated in the federal government's final 2004 motor vehicle fatality statistics. SUV Owners of America, which represents the interests of America's 80 million SUV, pickup and van owners, suggested to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that several elements of the agency's final data show the already-solid safety record of SUVs is further improving. The data show that the chances of being killed or injured in an SUV are clearly declining. The fatality rate, not the number of total fatalities, is widely accepted as the truest measure of safety.
"Safety-minded vehicle purchasers should ignore the hyperventilations of anti-SUV activists and closely study these new findings, which prove that SUVs are among the safest vehicles on the road," said SUVOA President Barry McCahill.
He explained that the final data now available from NHTSA adds important "exposure" information that gives a more balanced and valid safety picture. What is important for consumers are the odds that they may die or be injured in a crash. For example, if fatalities for a given particular vehicle class increase in actual number at the same time that there are more of those vehicles driving more miles, the apparent increase is misleading. Such has been the case for SUVs for the past several years.
"Without the context of exposure, the sheer number of fatalities is nearly meaningless," McCahill observed. "It's like saying a football team scored 14 points -- which would be potent, pedestrian or pathetic depending on whether the 'exposure' period was a quarter, a game or season."
Earlier this year, NHTSA announced that SUV occupant fatalities increased 5.6 percent. While making national news, the critical element of exposure was absent. In fact, SUV registrations were up 11 percent, meaning that the fatality rate actually declined 4.7 percent.
"This information is important for the public to know," McCahill said. "There are many people who simply don't like SUVs and use every opportunity to opine about their safety and fuel economy, often playing footloose and fancy free with the facts," he said.
SUVOA pointed to these important 2004 SUV safety facts from the just- released NHTSA data (http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/PPT/2004AnnualAssessment.pdf):
* Occupant fatality rate in SUVs declined by 4.7 percent (page 56).
* SUV passenger fatality rate in rollover crashes declined by 1 percent
(page 96).
* Occupants killed in two-vehicle crashes involving a car and an LTV
(light truck or SUV) declined by 3.3 percent (page 107).
"In recent years there have been countless stories about SUVs rolling over," said McCahill. "In 2004, SUV rollovers declined one percent. While not a large number, it is indicative of a positive trend. And what's often forgotten is that in all other types of crashes SUVs are more than twice as protective of their occupants than most cars."
SUVs are among the safest vehicles on the road. In fact, according to data collected by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the driver and occupant death rates of SUVs have been lower than those of passenger cars for almost every year since 1992 and have been declining faster than cars since 1978. Their data show larger vehicles provide more crash protection than smaller vehicles.
"Buyers ultimately consider safety, comfort, utility, and fuel economy, and even emotional appeal. Then they buy the vehicle that best meets their needs," McCahill said.
The following information and two charts are from the IIHS web site: http://www.hwysafety.org/research/fatality_facts/occupants.html#sec3
DRIVER DEATH RATES
Computing driver death rates per million registered passenger vehicles allows for comparisons of fatal crash risk across vehicle groups. The computed rates reflect the influence of vehicle designs plus their patterns of use and the demographics of their drivers. Driver death rates are based on 1-3 year- old vehicles only so as to minimize the effects of vehicle aging. Rates based on fewer than 120,000 vehicle registrations are considered unreliable, and are not included. Since 1978, driver and occupant deaths per registered vehicle have declined in all kinds of passenger vehicles. Declines have been largest among SUV occupants.
Occupant deaths per million registered passenger vehicles 1-3 years old,
1978-2003
Drivers All occupants
All All
passenger passenger
Year Cars Pickups SUVs vehicles Cars Pickups SUVs vehicles
1978 155 237 273 169 235 346 438 256
1979 165 246 271 180 244 350 425 265
1980 167 221 287 177 248 316 494 263
1981 177 216 237 182 259 296 389 265
1982 155 188 229 159 231 263 392 236
1983 148 188 225 153 220 263 337 225
1984 147 190 143 151 218 259 218 222
1985 139 182 141 144 208 257 227 213
1986 128 172 134 133 196 239 224 202
1987 130 178 136 136 197 248 232 205
1988 134 186 121 140 206 251 198 211
1989 130 185 116 138 200 255 185 208
1990 122 179 126 131 188 245 201 197
1991 108 169 109 117 169 229 175 178
1992 102 151 88 108 160 200 151 165
1993 97 137 93 102 153 187 141 156
1994 100 134 87 104 160 178 148 161
1995 103 134 102 107 160 180 157 162
1996 107 127 98 109 168 178 150 167
1997 96 118 93 99 153 161 146 153
1998 90 119 86 94 141 158 141 144
1999 91 120 93 96 138 162 139 143
2000 83 117 81 89 127 155 135 134
2001 83 130 74 89 125 170 116 131
2002 84 123 76 88 126 162 122 131
2003 81 116 70 84 121 153 113 125
Driver deaths per million registered
passenger vehicles 1-3 years old, 2003
Vehicle size Rate
Car - mini 142
Car - small 108
Car - midsize 66
Car - large 61
Car - very Large 70
Pickup - small 124
Pickup - large 115
Pickup - very large 102
SUV - small 75
SUV - midsize 70
SUV - large 64
SUV - very large *
*Insufficient exposure for estimating reliable death rates