A consumer group launched a new attack on sport utility vehicles Thursday, saying they're unsafe and waste gasoline.

SUV CAMPAIGN Listen To Radio Ad Do You Drive An SUV?

Public Citizen says it's spending $20,000 on radio ads that will run this week in Michigan, Arizona, Minnesota, Oregon, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.

The organization says SUVs are second only to minivans as the most popular choice of vehicle for transporting children. Parents who drive their children around in SUVs might have a false sense of security because they are riding high and their vehicle is bigger than other cars on the road, the group says.

But the ads say SUVs are poorly designed, and that they roll over and kill people. They also say SUVs have poor fuel economy.

According to Public Citizen, SUV owners in the United States each spent $350 extra on gas in 2002 -- together more than $9 billion -- over what they would have paid if SUVs were as efficient as cars.

The group's Web site asks SUV owners to tell automakers they want safer, more fuel-efficient SUVs.

The Sport Utility Vehicle Owners of America says Public Citizen is exaggerating the rollover risk. Improving fuel economy would come only at a tradeoff with reduced safety, utility, cost and performance, said Jason Vines, SUVOA president.

The ads are the latest in a series of assaults on SUVs that began with last year's "What Would Jesus Drive?" campaign.

Additional Resources:

• BetterSUV.org
• Public Citizen's SUV Safety Report
• SUV Owners of America