Ford spokeswoman Sara Tatchio said the automaker would consider installing the device on other models depending on their height. She also said Ford is likely to lower the heights on many of its SUVs when new versions come out. Foreign automakers also plan to design their SUVs so they are less likely to injure or kill people in other vehicles during crashes. Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Mitsubishi either have made design changes or said they plan to. Research shows light trucks, including SUVs and pickups, are far more likely than cars to kill the other driver in a crash.
Trucks tend to weigh more, have higher hoods and stiffer frames than any passenger car in a crash.
But in a study released earlier this month, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety called on automakers to put more emphasis on improving safety in passenger cars, especially smaller ones, saying such moves would save more lives than redesigning pickups and SUVs. Citing federal data from 1991-97, researchers said only 16 percent of traffic crash deaths in passenger cars were caused by collisions with SUVs or pickups. 2001 Knight Ridder Inc. and may not be republished without permission.