Large cars increase the risk of injury - for others

SVT's survey shows that passenger cars on Swedish roads are getting heavier.

In addition to the environmental aspect, the heavier cars also affect road safety. According to Anders Kullgren, head of research at Folksam, the biggest problem is about weight distribution.

A heavy car simply reduces safety more for other drivers than it increases safety for the owner in collisions between two cars.

According to Anders Kullgren, it would be optimal for everyone to drive a roughly the same new car.

- Of course, it does not work for everyone with different needs. But if you spread the weights, there will always be a greater risk increase for the little one than a risk reduction for the big one.

Folksam's research department looks at real accidents and follows up on how different sizes and year models have been affected.

In general, it can be said that larger cars perform better in a crash than smaller ones, but according to Kullgren, the modern cars are about as safe.

- In the eighties it was a very big advantage for the bigger ones, but it is no longer. The modern small cars can handle crashes with big ones in a better way.

- What you should be worried about is that we have both old and new cars and the old ones are getting harder to claim. New large SUVs weighing up to 3 tonnes pose a very big risk for the small older cars they collide with.

Motor journalist Håkan Matson is also skeptical of weight development, and sees the risks to others in a collision as a reason to opt out of heavy SUVs.

- I wouldn't want a really heavy car to crush others at a crash, he says and continues:

- It would not feel good to put in something that is far too heavy, big and unnecessary every day that has a negative impact on the safety of others and the environment.