I believe accident rates are lower on highways, so avoiding highways may not be the best thing. Of course, it depends on your route and situation.

I was in an accident 8 years ago and it certainly shakes you up for a while. It has made me more alert, though. Give it a couple of months and you'll be ok.

Vehicle wise, I would say that I do feel safer being in my SUV (which I take on snowy days and any incliment weather). However, the last accident was in a big SUV and the only reason I hit the person in front is because I couldn't stop fast enough (one of those 70mph to 0mph traffic jams on the freeway). Had I been in the Fit, I would have avoided the accident altogether.