is it perception, that SUVs are safer to drive? Well, it probably is, look how much damage they do:

When a passenger car and an LTV (light truck vehicle)  hit head-on, an occupant was between 3.1 to 4.1 times more frequently to be killed in a pas­senger car than in an LTV.

When a passenger car front hit the side of an LTV, an occupant was between 1.3 to 1.7 times more frequently to be killed in an LTV than in a passenger car.

However, when an LTV front hit the side of a passenger car, an occupant was between 13.3 to 22.7 times more frequently to be killed in a passenger car than in an LTV.

Passenger Vehicles - CrashStats - NHTSA

Thanks Bruce!