Greg,

I admit I have not read the book, but I have heard him interviewed and I do think he raises some important points. Like I said, I do not think that all SUV's are safe.   Most of what I've read and heard from Bradsher has centered on Ford and the Explorer and Expedition.   When it became evident that my family needed a larger vehicle, I explored a number of options and did research on the safety of the Xterra. While the Xterra did not rate as high as I would have liked in rollovers, it did rate higher than most other SUV's. The Xterra also rated high in front and side crash tests, and the bumper is not as high as on most other SUV's. The gas guzzling station wagons that are made today are not much better than SUV's, AND they actually are longer than a SUV and take up more space to park.

Bradsher also makes a strong point that many drivers are not trained to handle these cars. A very important point.   I like to think that I am a safe driver and I took the time to learn about handling and how to avoid rollovers. I do not drink and drive, I do not drive recklessly, and I do not speed. Obviously you cannot anticipate every circumstance.   Any time you get behind the wheel of a vehicle you are taking a great responsiblity - for your own life and that of everyone on the road. We make choices to live our lives and do what we can to help others and our environment.