Source: http://www.gladwell.com/2004/2004_01_12_a_suv.html... internal industry market research concluded that S.U.V.s tend to be bought by people who are insecure, vain, self-centered, and self-absorbed, who are frequently nervous about their marriages, and who lack confidence in their driving skills.
(About mid-way through Section 1)
(Top of Section 3)The S.U.V. boom represents, then, a shift in how we conceive of safety--from active to passive. ... they are better off treating accidents as inevitable rather than avoidable.
(Bottom of Section 3)[Boras] are safe because they make their drivers feel unsafe. S.U.V.s are unsafe because they make their drivers feel safe. That feeling of safety isn't the solution; it's the problem.
The rest of the article's pretty interesting, but nothing we don't already know. At least the Touareg's got its monocoque going for it...
Also, the table in Section 2 tells us that, in terms of people per million per killed per annum, the Bora's the US's joint third saftest car...
Play safe peeps!
Deek.