When asking people why they purchased their SUVs, a common response is that they feel safer driving the bigger vehicle. Yet those same people will be paying more in auto insurance. Despite the belief that SUVs are safer than smaller vehicles, they do pose significant risks, resulting in higher auto insurance rates than smaller autos.

SUV sales have continued to rise despite the higher cost of insuring those vehicles and the cost of gas. The belief that an SUV is safer, is a commonly held misconception about SUVs. Sports Utility Vehicles carry with them very unique risks that have an impact on auto insurance rates, like the fact that he vehicles are heavier and taller than other autos. This weight to height ratio results in SUVs being involved in more rollovers. In fact, SUVs roll over in twice as many fatal accidents than passenger vehicles.

Besides the SUVs risk to itself with rollovers, the greater height of the vehicle also poses more risk to other, smaller, cars. Any driver of a smaller car can relate to the fact that many SUV