SUVs Save Kids

The Boston Globe reported the results of a study conducted by researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. They examined some 7,200 crashes involving about 11,000 children in 15 states and concluded that, “Children riding in the back seats of compact, extended-cab pickups are almost five times more likely to be injured in the event of a crash than children riding in the rear seats of other vehicles.” The bottom line of the study, which is published in Wednesday’s issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, is that parents with a choice of vehicles should not use compact pickup trucks.
I had an emergency room doctor call and tell me why this study makes a good argument for the SUV crowd, and explain why he won’t put his own kids in anything smaller than a full-sized half-ton pickup. You can hear our conversation in the link below.