It used to be that SUVs were more prone to rollover crashes. Now, they are safer than ordinary cars, according to a new report by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety.

In comparing real-world auto accident death rates for different kinds of vehicles, the new report revealed that the biggest factor in the decrease in the rollover rate and overall death rate for SUVs is electronic stability control. ESC is a computer-based system allowing drivers to keep the vehicle in control during abrupt maneuvers and on slippery roads.

According to Russ Rader, Insurance Institute spokesman, the stability of SUV designs has likewise contributed to the decrease in the rollover death rates. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is a privately-owned group by auto insurers.

One of the major selling points for the SUV has been safety. The fact that they are heavy, big, and high-riding is one of the reasons why drivers feel safe from crash. However, their tendency to roll over due to their tall bodies has offset the safety features of these SUVs. Although quite rare, rollover accidents are more deadly than ordinary impacts.

With rollover no longer a factor, SUVs now have the lowest crash death rates and even safer than big cars. Only the minivan is safer. From 2006 to 2009, driver of newer SUVs were involved in 28 deaths for every million vehicles, half the average death for car accidents.

The Insurance Institute only counts the driver’s death even if multiple people were killed in the vehicle that crashed. This would allow the company to have a fair comparison of multi-passenger vehicles against those that carry fewer people.

Some car models come with the ESC but the feature is most common in SUVs. More drivers of 2009 model cars were two times more prone to die from rollover accidents compared to SUVs of similar model. Thanks to the technology, death rates across the board have been reduced. The overall death toll for drivers of 1989 to 1993 models of cars was 110 per million registered vehicles. In contrast, the death rate for 2005 to 2008 vehicle models decreased to 48.

Analysis of the Insurance Institute revealed that the sheer size of the vehicle is still a huge factor in car safety. Although small cars receive good crash test scores, they still register the highest death rates compared to the mid-sized or larger vehicles.

Death rates may vary from one car model to another for several reasons. Aside from the vehicles themselves, the decrease in death rates can also be attributed to the way people drive them. As an example, high performance cars have lower death rates because owners drive them occasionally.

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