Go drive a Toyota Corolla around and see where the bumpers of larger vehicles would strike you or your child if you were side swiped or rear-ended or had a head-on.
Hint: It’s known as the “kill zone” in hunting.
Higher is better. And it's basic physics: the larger mass absorbs greater force (rather than the occupants).
Actually it’s not “height”. It’s just “size”.
My old Lincoln would do just as well in all the practical carting-around department. Better, as the trunk is big enough for lots of things so they don’t need to be tied outside in the elements.