Whatever you drive, keep your seatbelt buckled

Most SUVs carry a decal like this on on the visor.

Three people were sent to the hospital, one of them transported to an out-of-town hospital, following a horrible accident Monday evening, involving an SUV and a car.

We've noticed several local accidents, some of them inside town at relatively slow speeds, where tall vehicles, most of them SUVs, have rolled as a result of the collision.

SUVs are among the most popular vehicles -- some of us driving one without even realizing it.

They're popular because we feel safer sitting higher above the road and other vehicles, as well as providing a fun-factor to our daily commute.

Usually all-wheel or four-wheel drive, they're handy on snowy or muddy roads, but the higher ground clearance that capability requires makes them more prone to rollover.

While earlier SUVs were more dangerous than conventional cars, the latest statistics show SUVs have slightly fewer driver fatalities per million vehicles, due to rollovers, than cars.

Better crash protection including more air bags and electronic stability control have helped improve safety, but in 95 percent of rollovers the vehicles are "tripped" over something low such as a curb or shallow ditch.

You can tell you're in an SUV if you check the visor, which must carry a decal outlining rollover dangers.

But whatever vehicle you're driving, we like the advice one driver, recently involved in a rollover accident offered: "Seat belts. Use them."