Actually, SUVs are more likely to tip, many are top-heavy, several models have had fire issues with their gas tanks . . . Claiming that SUVs in general are safer is simply not true. In fact, in certain types of collisions, an SUV is the last vehicle you want to be in.
Now, certain specific models may be safer, generally speaking. However, even they are far more likely to do fatal damage to whatever vehicle they collide with. And while I will do a lot to protect my kids, putting other innocent people's lives at risk is not on that list.
There are some great reasons to drive an SUV. Needing 4-wheel drive (because of heavy cargo or bad roads), for instance. But if you're just trying to squeeze in people, I submit that you'd be just as well off with a minivan. (Of course, they're gas-guzzlers too, although not as bad as most SUVs.)
