Teenagers and SUV's

When I got my driver's license at 16 I had the best car. It was a 10-year old Chrysler E-class.
It had one or two...features that really gave the car character. If you lifted the driver's side door handle while it was locked, the lock would stick, and you'd have to climb in the passenger side and unlock it from the inside. The clock was lengendary. It would only turn on if the headlights were on, and when it did turn on, it would show either 11:00, 12:00, or 1:00, depending on its mood. I think the most important feature of the Chrysler, was it's speed control. If the car went above 55, the entire thing would shake. It was great. As a 16-year old bad driver, it was crucial.
Why do I bring this up? An article in the Washington Post today (Dec 28th) ,A lethal combination, talks about teenagers in SUV's:

"Forty-nine people ages 15 to 20 died in SUV and pickup truck
accidents in Maryland, Virginia and the District last year, according
to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The problem,
researchers say, is that SUVs have a higher center of gravity and are
harder to control in an emergency, which makes inexperienced teenage
drivers more vulnerable. "

Why do teenagers need SUV's? To be honest, few people outside of those who drive up and down mountain roads, or drive to hospitals in the snow need them? But teenagers in particular are bad drivers: They've just started. Generally they have less sense of control of the car, and of course have little experience reacting to traffic. If 16 year old's must drive, they should be legally required to have cars that near collapse when they get above 60. They need cars with "character" so they can begin to appreciate the power and responsiblity they have. Then, we just need to work on stopping the rest of the population from driving them, but that is another post.