Active Safety for SUVs

Consumer Driven
J.D. Powers and Associates' 2002 survey of consumer interest in emerging automotive features revealed nine of the top 10 most desired features are designed to enhance vehicle or occupant safety. Consumers showed particular interested in "active" safety features that help the driver avoid an accident, specifically electronic stability systems. While government and industry are working to make vehicles safer, it is also the responsibility of all drivers to understand their vehicles' safety features. More importantly, it's imperative to practice the particular driving skills necessary to keep themselves and others safe on the road.


Certain safe driving practices apply to all vehicles. Every vehicle on the road is equipped with seatbelts and every driver and passenger must use them. Statistics show 72 percent of the occupants of SUVs who die in rollover crashes are not wearing safety belts. SUVs have different handling characteristics than cars and demand special driving techniques. They are much heavier than passenger cars and that weight difference means a greater stopping distance, particularly on wet or icy roads.

Driving Tips
Another key difference is the center of gravity, which is higher in light trucks than in most cars. This can lead to a greater likelihood that the driver will lose control with sudden, jerky steering. When the four-wheel drive is missing or not activated in SUVs, most use rear-wheel drive and can be more prone to skidding because they have less weight over the driving wheels. Here are some suggestions on how to tailor your driving skills to the character of your SUV:


> To reduce the risk of a collision in bad weather, familiarize yourself with your SUV's performance. Practice driving in an empty parking lot or other open space while the pavement is slick to get used to the brakes, steering and overall handling.


> Most new SUVs have anti-lock brakes, so check to see if yours does. When making a quick stop with anti-lock brakes, maintain firm and constant pressure on the brake pedal.