Seattle, WA -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/15/2011 -- CarInsuranceRates.com, a popular online destination for requests on free auto insurance quotes, has dozens of affiliate insurers within its network that have recently responded to the overwhelmingly positive results of a new study on SUV safety. Most of the insurers in the site’s network believe the good news on SUV crash-test safety will bring car insurance rates down as a whole.

“Sport utility vehicles remain some of the most popular vehicles on the road, and previously, their tendency to roll lead to poorer crash-test performance when compared with lower-profile vehicles. This latest study indicates that SUVs are getting increasingly safer, and as they do, insurers like those in our network can decrease their rates,” explained Nathan Ackerman, spokesman for Car Insurance Rates.

Recently, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported that the fatality rate in auto accidents involving SUVs declined by two-thirds over the last year. IIHS experts for the most part credit Electronic Stability Control (ESC) for the steep drop but also point out more and more SUVs are now also equipped with side airbags designed to protect the occupants’ heads in an accident. Many SUVs are also coming equipped with energy-absorbing devices in their front ends—structures that have been used in cars for many years.

“In a way, the safety of SUV has come full circle. At first, they were popular with families because they desired more protection from a larger vehicle. Then, when the news about their rollover risk came to light, drivers started to second-guess their safety. Now with the addition of these new technologies, SUVs are safer than ever and now cause fewer accidents on the road than trucks. For the auto insurance industry and its customers, this is overwhelmingly good news,” said Mr. Ackerman.