On this web site in the past, we have asked the question: Are SUVs evil? Some people say that SUV drivers are more reckless than drivers of regular cars. Is this true?
SUVs are really trucks in disguise, since they are car-like vehicles built on a truck chassis. Most SUV drivers feel safer being surrounded by so much steel, but they aren?t safer if their choice of vehicle leads to more reckless driving.
New Zealand researchers Jared Thomas and Darren Walton observed highways and compared over a thousand SUV and sedan drivers, to see which of them drove with their hands in the “ten-minutes-to-two” position on the steering wheel, which is considered the sign of a safe and alert driver. They found that SUV drivers drove with only one hand on the wheel more than half the time. New Scientist quotes Thomas as saying, “Being in larger, taller vehicles, SUV drivers believe they are safer and possess a lower level of perceived risk than car drivers.” But safety regulations are not as stringent for them as they are for conventional automobiles.
Art credit: freeimages.co.uk
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