A new Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) study shows that the driver of a car is 28% more likely to die if the car is hit by an SUV.
In 1989–1992, SUVs were 132% more likely to kill the driver of a car they collided with. During that period pick-up trucks were 159% more likely to kill other car drivers, whereas the figure now stands at 158%. The study examined deaths in accidents involving 1 to 4-year old passenger vehicles from 1989 to 2016.
The reasons for this incompatibility between a car and an SUV include factors like vehicle weight and ride height. Heavier cars will do more damage to lighter vehicles. SUVs also have a higher ride height, which means that the SUV's bumper is likely to hit the car's window, and not the stronger parts of the car like the doors. Crossovers, which have a lower ride height, are less dangerous than full-size SUVs.
Source: Jalopnik