Originally Posted by
livedarklions
.....If you know anything about kinetic energy (which is what actually kills people), it increases greatly with weight. Also, the size and height of the SUV may affect the driver's ability to see and avoid you, as well as making it more likely that the pedestrian or cyclist will end up under the wheel.
If you're going to argue physics, you have to keep the facts straight. The vehicle's weight (compared to other vehicles) makes much less difference than you imply.
What matters most is it's speed and angle of impact. While there's marginal difference between the effects of being hit by a 6,000# vehicle and one half it's weight, there's a great difference between one moving at 40 vs. 30mph
However, as you point out, shape is critical. The difference in grill/hood height of SUVs and trucks vs. that of typical cars determines whether you'll tend to be lifted allowing the car to slide under you, vs. being driven forward and/or down.
IMO the difference in fleet mix accounts for a large part of the difference in consequences, though it wouldn't factor in the number of crashes.