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Description
For driving to the mall, going to work, or doing chores, Sports Utility Vehicles are not the choice of car to drive.  Although SUVs are trendy, their reputation for poor gas mileage, braking distances, and rollovers, does not make an SUV the best choice of vehicle.  This paper will discuss the safety issues, gas issues, and the reasons why you shouldn't buy an SUV.
Nationwide the price of gas is $1.79 whereas in California, the average price of a gallon of gas is $2.15.  The price, not only absurdly high, is demanding the attention of every driver, especially drivers of SUVs.  The Ford Explorer and Ford Expedition are a good example.  In both SUVs their gas consumption rates or miles per gallon (mpg) starts at 14 mpg and cuts short at 19 mpg. Another SUV, the new Volkswagen Touareg's mpg is 15/20.   Some passenger cars like the Honda Accord, boast a rate of 26/34 mpg and the Mazda 6's mpg of 24/32.  Wouldn't you rather drive in a car that has more drive to the two or more dollars you pay for a gallon?  SUVs are not the right choice of vehicle if the cost of gas is not in your favor, like it is here in California.
  Here are some reasons why you might want to buy an SUV.  Driving an SUV raises the driver higher off the ground, giving a better view of traffic and any oncoming possible accidents.  An SUV has more room than other passenger cars, which makes it easier to take the whole family in the car instead of using multiple cars to carry everyone.  SUVs are much more compatible in bad weather such as rain, snow, or other sudden changes in the weather, which can make any driver worried about their safety.  SUVs also can tow objects twice their weight.  This feature enables the driver to pull along their boat, RV, trailer, or storage without having a truck to tow their items to their destination.
However, SUVs are NOT as good as they seem.  So many SUVs have sprouted into popularity since 1999 (when the craze started), that no longer can you claim that you want to be able to see above everyone when driving.  There are so many SUVs on the road, each bigger and wider than the early SUVs that you cannot possibly be able to see past any other SUV.  This starts the chain reaction of buying a larger SUV then a larger one, and a larger one until people will be driving eighteen wheelers which makes the roads even less safe for everyone.  Although SUVs give much more room to carry items and passengers inside more than regular five person seating in other cars, if an SUV were to be in an accident, more people would be at risk of injury than just five people in other cars would.  The idea that SUVs are more compatible in rough weather situations is absurd.  SUVs are higher than other cars and have a high center of gravity, which makes it near impossible for an SUV to survive rough weather such as an icy road.  An SUV's increased weight would cause it to skid on the ice in an accident or a sudden swerve.  It's height and weight would cause it to either topple over, skid and spin, or roll over while a regular car that is lower to the ground would make it topple or rollover less likely.  Even though a regular car may not be able to tow something twice its weight as well as an SUV, the SUV's height, width and it's tow's height and weight would make it nearly impossible for cars behind it to be able to see an oncoming accident.
Except for an SUV's elevation for a better view of traffic and a possible oncoming accident, SUVs are considerably unsafe.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) described that SUVS have two characteristics that make fatalities in accidents higher: 1.) Rollover tendency and 2.) Crash compatibility.  SUVs are more than three times more likely to roll over in a crash than normal passenger cars are.  The higher the tendency of rollovers the higher the possibility of fatal accidents.  SUVs ride higher and are heavier than regular passenger cars, which makes it more possible for the SUV to roll over.  The NHTSA stated that "SUVs rollover in 37% of fatal crashes compared to a 15% rollover rate for passenger cars."
One of the most important factors to decide on which car to buy is the braking distances. In a demonstration, eight SUVs were tested on their braking distances.  The cars were demonstrated each on their braking distances from 60mph to 0.  A car was left 142 feet in front of them.  The Porche Boxter stopped 120 feet away from the car, the Oldsmobile Intrigue 131", the Dodge Caravan SE 135", the Pontiac Transport 141", the Isuzu Rodeo 148", the Ford Explorer 150", the Chevrolet Blazer 154", and the Chevrolet Suburban 155".   Which car would you rather drive?  I know I would prefer driving the car with the best braking reactions, and each of these SUVs fell dangerously close to hitting the car.
In conclusion, SUVs are NOT the best choice of vehicle.  I would choose a regular car over an SUV any day (once I get my license) based on statistics and my personal opinion.  SUVs come out second rate in crash tests, rollover tests, and braking distances.  Sports Utility Vehicles are only a trend, nothing more.  They are unsafe to their drivers, passengers, and other drivers on the roads.  SUVs also offer fewer miles to the gallon, making it even more expensive for the driver.  Not only are they unsafe, but they pollute. An SUV that gets 14 mpg, like a Lincoln Navigator, will emit over 100 tons of CO2 into the air over its lifetime. SUVs are a trend that will end, and soon!

Description
For driving to the mall, going to work, or doing chores, Sports Utility Vehicles are not the choice of car to drive.  Although SUVs are trendy, their reputation for poor gas mileage, braking distances, and rollovers, does not make an SUV the best choice of vehicle.  This paper will discuss the safety issues, gas issues, and the reasons why you shouldn't buy an SUV.
Nationwide the price of gas is $1.79 whereas in California, the average price of a gallon of gas is $2.15.  The price, not only absurdly high, is demanding the attention of every driver, especially drivers of SUVs.  The Ford Explorer and Ford Expedition are a good example.  In both SUVs their gas consumption rates or miles per gallon (mpg) starts at 14 mpg and cuts short at 19 mpg. Another SUV, the new Volkswagen Touareg's mpg is 15/20.   Some passenger cars like the Honda Accord, boast a rate of 26/34 mpg and the Mazda 6's mpg of 24/32.  Wouldn't you rather drive in a car that has more drive to the two or more dollars you pay for a gallon?  SUVs are not the right choice of vehicle if the cost of gas is not in your favor, like it is here in California.
  Here are some reasons why you might want to buy an SUV.  Driving an SUV raises the driver higher off the ground, giving a better view of traffic and any oncoming possible accidents.  An SUV has more room than other passenger cars, which makes it easier to take the whole family in the car instead of using multiple cars to carry everyone.  SUVs are much more compatible in bad weather such as rain, snow, or other sudden changes in the weather, which can make any driver worried about their safety.  SUVs also can tow objects twice their weight.  This feature enables the driver to pull along their boat, RV, trailer, or storage without having a truck to tow their items to their destination.
However, SUVs are NOT as good as they seem.  So many SUVs have sprouted into popularity since 1999 (when the craze started), that no longer can you claim that you want to be able to see above everyone when driving.  There are so many SUVs on the road, each bigger and wider than the early SUVs that you cannot possibly be able to see past any other SUV.  This starts the chain reaction of buying a larger SUV then a larger one, and a larger one until people will be driving eighteen wheelers which makes the roads even less safe for everyone.  Although SUVs give much more room to carry items and passengers inside more than regular five person seating in other cars, if an SUV were to be in an accident, more people would be at risk of injury than just five people in other cars would.  The idea that SUVs are more compatible in rough weather situations is absurd.  SUVs are higher than other cars and have a high center of gravity, which makes it near impossible for an SUV to survive rough weather such as an icy road.  An SUV's increased weight would cause it to skid on the ice in an accident or a sudden swerve.  It's height and weight would cause it to either topple over, skid and spin, or roll over while a regular car that is lower to the ground would make it topple or rollover less likely.  Even though a regular car may not be able to tow something twice its weight as well as an SUV, the SUV's height, width and it's tow's height and weight would make it nearly impossible for cars behind it to be able to see an oncoming accident.
Except for an SUV's elevation for a better view of traffic and a possible oncoming accident, SUVs are considerably unsafe.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) described that SUVS have two characteristics that make fatalities in accidents higher: 1.) Rollover tendency and 2.) Crash compatibility.  SUVs are more than three times more likely to roll over in a crash than normal passenger cars are.  The higher the tendency of rollovers the higher the possibility of fatal accidents.  SUVs ride higher and are heavier than regular passenger cars, which makes it more possible for the SUV to roll over.  The NHTSA stated that "SUVs rollover in 37% of fatal crashes compared to a 15% rollover rate for passenger cars."
One of the most important factors to decide on which car to buy is the braking distances. In a demonstration, eight SUVs were tested on their braking distances.  The cars were demonstrated each on their braking distances from 60mph to 0.  A car was left 142 feet in front of them.  The Porche Boxter stopped 120 feet away from the car, the Oldsmobile Intrigue 131", the Dodge Caravan SE 135", the Pontiac Transport 141", the Isuzu Rodeo 148", the Ford Explorer 150", the Chevrolet Blazer 154", and the Chevrolet Suburban 155".   Which car would you rather drive?  I know I would prefer driving the car with the best braking reactions, and each of these SUVs fell dangerously close to hitting the car.
In conclusion, SUVs are NOT the best choice of vehicle.  I would choose a regular car over an SUV any day (once I get my license) based on statistics and my personal opinion.  SUVs come out second rate in crash tests, rollover tests, and braking distances.  Sports Utility Vehicles are only a trend, nothing more.  They are unsafe to their drivers, passengers, and other drivers on the roads.  SUVs also offer fewer miles to the gallon, making it even more expensive for the driver.  Not only are they unsafe, but they pollute. An SUV that gets 14 mpg, like a Lincoln Navigator, will emit over 100 tons of CO2 into the air over its lifetime. SUVs are a trend that will end, and soon!