When you ask people why they buy large vehicles, such as the massive SUVs designed to carry eight people but usually just carrying one driver through their daily commute, they’ll often tell you that they feel safe. They feel that — should they ever get in an accident — they’ll come out of it with less severe injuries than they would in a smaller vehicle.
And you know what? They’re right. But there is another side to this equation. These bigger vehicles may keep their occupants safe, but that also means that the occupants of the smaller cars that they crash into are at greater risk for serious injuries. This is especially true with light, low cars such as compact cars, convertibles and many electric vehicles.
You, on the other hand, maybe thinking about more than just your personal safety. Maybe you drive a small car to cut back on road congestion or pollution. Maybe you want to save money on gas. Maybe you know that the car will only be carrying you for 99% of its trips, so there is no reason to have so many seats.
Some of these reasons, such as reducing your environmental impact, are noble. But you have to know that they also do increase your injury odds. You can tell by looking at typical daytime traffic that many drivers are less concerned with these issues and more concerned with staying safe, but that puts you at a higher level of risk if one of these drivers makes a mistake and hits your car.
If you’re injured in a wreck due to another driver’s negligence, you may be able to seek out financial compensation for medical bills, lost wages and many other costs related to the accident. Find out more about your options today.