Recent studies conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety showed that small SUVs are clearly safer than small pickups. The IIHS, a nonprofit organization supported by the insurance companies, recently tested eight 2008 and 2009 small SUVs and five 2008 small pickups, and the results were very different.

In its small SUV study, the IIHS tested the Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape, Jeep Patriot, Jeep Wrangler, Mitsubishi Outlander, Nissan Rogue, Suzuki Grand Vitara and Volkswagen Tiguan. Since the vehicles are basically the same, the results for the Escape also apply to the Mazda Tribute and Mercury Mariner, and the scores for the Chevrolet Equinox also apply to the Pontiac Torrent.

IIHS testing includes a 40 mph offset crash test, a side impact test that involves a 3,300-pound barrier moving at 31 mph, and a rear crash test that measures the effectiveness of a vehicle’s seats. Each test is scored with a rating of good, acceptable, marginal or poor.

The IIHS noted that more small SUVs are coming standard with side airbags and electronic stability control, and these features help improve test results. Of the SUVs tested, only the Jeep Wrangler and Chevrolet Equinox/Pontiac Torrent didn’t come standard with side airbags. The good news is curtain side airbags are now standard for 2009 versions of the Equinox and Torrent.

Four of the eight SUVs tested qualified as IIHS Top Safety Picks, which impressed Institute President Adrian Lund.

“This is a huge change from just five years ago when most small SUVs were rated either marginal or poor in our side test, and standard side airbags and electronic stability control were rare,” Lund said.

For a vehicle to qualify as a Top Safety Pick, it must earn a good rating in all three crash tests and be available with electronic stability control. Those earning Top Safety Pick status were the 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander and Nissan Rogue, and the 2009 Ford Escape and Volkswagen Tiguan. Since the Tribute and Mariner are the same as the Escape, they also qualify as Top Safety Picks.

The IIHS was impressed with changes made to the Escape, Tribute and Mariner. Structural changes to the frontal structure and modifications to the airbags and seat belts helped the trio improve from an acceptable to a good rating in the frontal offset crash test. A new seat design improved the rear crash rating from acceptable to good, and side airbags are now standard.

The IIHS wasn’t so impressed with the Jeep Wrangler. The previous generation of the Wrangler, which was redesigned for the 2007 model year, received an acceptable front offset rating and a marginal side impact rating. Side airbags were not available on that model. The new version improved to a good rating in front offset crashes but regressed to a poor rating in side impacts. It should be noted, however, that the IIHS tested the Wrangler without side airbags, which are now optional, and the Wrangler would most likely perform better with them.

“Most vehicles are being improved,” Lund said. “We’ve rarely seen a vehicle go in the wrong direction and get a worse rating after it has been redesigned.”

The Wrangler also received a marginal rating for rear impact protection, as did the Equinox/Torrent and Suzuki Grand Vitara. The IIHS noted that the seat designs of these vehicles need improvement.

In the small pickup study, the IIHS tested the Chevrolet Colorado, Dodge Dakota, Ford Ranger, Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma. The Colorado scores also apply to the GMC Canyon, the Dakota results are relevant for the Mitsubishi Raider, and the Ranger results also represent those of the Mazda B Series.

The results of the testing showed that small pickups are behind the times in terms of safety equipment.

“Unfortunately, they won’t find many [small pickups] that afford state-of-the-art crash protection. Most earn dismal ratings for protecting people in side crashes, and all but the Tacoma and Frontier lack electronic stability control, which is a key feature in preventing crashes. Until they improve, most small pickups aren’t good choices for people looking for safe transportation,” Lund said.

In fact, the IIHS says that small pickup trucks have the highest driver death rates of any vehicles on the road. IIHS data shows that in 2006 small pickups experienced 116 driver deaths per million registered vehicles one to three years old. That figure compares to 106 deaths per million for minicars, 99 for small cars and 42 for small SUVs.

The IIHS says part of the reason for the high death rate in small pickups is the fact that they are more likely than other passenger vehicles to be involved in single-vehicle crashes, especially rollovers. The lack of electronic stability control is a problem here. ESC can help prevent crashes, but it was standard on only 12 percent of 2008 pickups and not available at all on 67 percent of pickups. By comparison, it was standard on 64 percent of 2008 cars and 95 percent of 2008 SUVs.

The Toyota Tacoma was the only small pickup to earn a good rating for side impact protection. The Dakota, Ranger and Frontier are rated marginal, and the Chevrolet Colorado is rated poor. Unlike most new vehicles today, side airbags are rarely standard on small pickups, and they’re not even offered for the Ford Ranger and Mazda B Series. In 2008, 65 percent of new vehicles had standard side airbags. The IIHS says that manufacturers have pledged to make side airbags standard across their fleets by the 2010 model year, some five years ahead of a federal side impact standard that will essentially require them.

While the 2008 version of the Tacoma did not earn an IIHS Top Safety Pick, the 2009 version does. That’s because the Tacoma’s cloth bucket seat design has been changed and now earns a good rating for rear crash protection. It should also be noted that front side and curtain side airbags are now standard on the Tacoma instead of optional.

The IIHS also noted that the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon were the worst performers in its tests, which is surprising because these trucks have much newer designs than the Ford Ranger and Mazda B Series. The Colorado was the only truck to receive a poor rating for side impact protection. It also received an acceptable rating for frontal offset crash protection, while the vast majority of new vehicles are rated good.

Finally, the IIHS noted that children should not ride in the Ranger’s rear jump seats. All of the small pickup trucks studied had four-door crew cab body styles except the Ranger, which comes with rear access doors and two rear side-facing jump seats. The institute doesn’t recommend riding in jump seats, citing their lack of shoulder belts and a study conducted by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, which found that children riding in the small back seats of pickup trucks are about four times more likely to be injured in crashes as those in the back seats of other vehicles.