According to the U.S. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, automobile crashes were the No. 1 cause of death for every age of Americans from age 3 through age 33. For ages 34 through 44, car crashes were the third leading cause of death in the U.S.  Don't assume that massive vehicles deliver massive protection: there is more to safety than just brute strength during a collision. Instead of automatically buying the largest possible vehicle, look instead at its overall safety profile (see the weblinks below). 

Five Star Crash and Rollover Ratings are searchable by automobile class, year, make and model, at http://www.safercar.gov/, a website of the U.S. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.