Children are no safer riding in SUVs than in passenger cars, largely because the greater risk of rollovers in SUVs cancels out the safety advantages of their size and weight, according to a recently published study.

Researchers with Partners for Child Passenger Safety, a joint research project of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and State Farm Insurance reported findings that dispel the bigger-equals-safer myth that has helped fuel the growing popularity of SUVs among families.

"We're not saying they're worse or that they're terrible vehicles. We're challenging the conventional wisdom that everyone assumed they were better," said Dr. Dennis Durbin, a pediatric emergency physician who took part in the study which has been published in the journal Pediatrics.

Automakers: SUVs as safe or safer

Eron Shosteck, a spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said he had not seen the study but cited government research released last summer that found SUVs have become less top-heavy since 2000 and have improved rollover resistance.

"SUVs have an exceptional safety record and are safer than or as safe as cars in the vast majority of crashes," Shosteck said.

The researchers looked at 377,000 accidents involving nearly 500,000 children under age 16, and found child injury rates of about 1.7% in both cars and SUVs. The study examined only vehicles with second-generation air bags.

On average, the SUVs weighed 1,300 pounds more than the cars studied. The study found that the extra weight of SUVs enhanced safety, reducing the risk of injury by more than a third.  But that was offset by findings that SUVs were more than twice as likely as cars to roll over in crashes.

“Ultimately the results are an attempt to educate parents on the proper and safe restraint of children and to promote stronger safety rules across the nation,” according to State Farm spokesman Fraser Engerman.

Children who were not properly restrained in a car seat, booster seat or seatbelt during an SUV rollover were at a 25-fold greater risk for injury as compared to appropriately restrained children. Nearly half of the unrestrained children in these crashes (41 percent) suffered a serious injury versus only three percent of appropriately restrained children in SUV's. Overall, injury risk for appropriately restrained children in passenger cars is less than 2 percent.

State Farm holds child passenger safety fairs across the country where parents can bring their vehicle and have the installation of their child safety seats examined and adjusted.

Fuel for rollover standards

Children in rollovers were three times more likely to be seriously injured than those in non-rollover accidents, according to the study.

The findings surprised researchers, who assumed heavier SUVs were safer than cars when the study began, Durbin said.  Actually, more weight increases the chances of an SUV rollover accident occurring, despite the belief that added weight will add stability.

"To the extent that SUV makers can solve the rollover problem, we may see them becoming the safe haven for children that they have the potential to be," Durbin said.

Automakers already have made strides through engineering and new technology such as electronic stability control, Shosteck said.

National Highway Transportation Safety Administration spokesman Rae Tyson agreed but said he hopes the study encourages families to check safety ratings closely before buying.  "There is a segment of the buying public that may be buying them with the false impression that they are buying the safest vehicle they can for their families," Tyson said.

Rollover crash facts from NHTSA

Crashes in which a vehicle rolled over accounted for more than half of all single-vehicle crash deaths.

The rate of serious injury in passenger vehicle rollover crashes is 36 percent higher than in crashes where there is no rollover.

More than 90 percent of passenger vehicle rollover crashes are single-vehiclecrashes, and 8,345 of the 10,142 occupant deaths occurred in single-vehicle rollover crashes.

Studies of real-world single-vehicle crashes indicate that 90% of rollovers occur after a driver runs off the road. SUV rollovers are almost three times more likely to occur than the average passenger car.

SUVs, minivans, and pickups handle differently than cars. Driver knowledge and experience is particularly important in poor weather, as larger vehicles require more braking distance, which is vital to know to avoid accidents on slippery roads.

The Automobile Club of Southern California (ACSC) has 10 safety tips for SUV drivers to try to keep everyone on the road safe.

Tips for SUV drivers

• Learn to drive your SUV. Practice driving in a large, empty space under different conditions to get used to the brakes, steering and overall handling.
• Avoid sudden or sharp steering changes. An SUV is not designed to make fast, sharp turns, and handles differently than a lower bodied sedan.
• Be considerate of other drivers. While your driving position may have improved — placing you higher, with better visibility — drivers behind and along side you can see much less. Drivers behind you often cannot see what is in front of you, making you more likely to be hit from the rear.
• Recognize your visual limitations. Tinted windows in many SUVs make it difficult for a driver to know what's traveling alongside or behind them. Check your mirrors to make sure they minimize your blind spots.
• Brake better. SUVs require greater braking distance than most automobiles, especially in bad weather.
• Buckle up. With the higher potential for rollovers in an SUV, drivers should be especially careful to wear seatbelts.
• Slow down. Most people drive too fast. Slow down and drive defensively, which gives you more reaction time.
• Avoid overloads. A full load of cargo or even passengers raises the center of gravity even more, which makes the vehicle even more apt to roll over.
• Don't carry too much weight. Overloading causes wear and tear to brakes, can overheat tires, and increases blowout risk.
• Maintain your vehicle properly. Periodic service and close attention to tire pressure help protect you and your passengers.