Do SUVs suffer from poor bumper design?

It is well known that SUVs aren't the safest car for a family because they of their gravitational force (central gravity). They can easily roll-over in an accident when sudden turns are made. Even though they are comfortable and are spacious, that doesn't mean that it's the best way to go.

Unfortunately, a new problem just faced the drivers of SUVs - poor bumper design. It is obvious that bumpers are vulnerable to slow and fast-speed collisions, but the bad thing is that consumers are often misled by the "rugged' image that an SUV performs. Did you ever see a commercial that advertises an SUV riding on a rocky surface? Don't be misled. 

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety made several tests to determine bumper ratings for SUVs. The results weren't so good. As a matter of fact, six out of seven SUVs that were tested had miserable results, while one SUV, the Acura MDX, had the same results as an average car.

Because SUVs aren't as safe as they seem, accidents are more likely to occur with them than a mid-sized sedan. Unfortunately, bumpers on SUVs don't protect drivers and don't serve much purpose.

Adrian Lund, chief operating officer for IIHS, claims, "The Acura MDX has the best bumpers of any midsize SUV the Institute has ever tested.' The IIHS performed the following four bumper tests on the following seven SUVs:

• Front into angle barrier

• Rear into pole

• Front into flat barrier

• Rear into flat barrier

This graph shows the results (source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Insure.com)

5 MPH CRASH TEST RESULTS, MIDSIZE UTILITY VEHICLES