A new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has found that a lot of car damage could be prevented if cars and SUVs were forced to have bumpers at the same height.

Current federal regulations call for bumpers to be placed 16 to 20 inches above the ground. When two bumpers hit exactly, the damage was found to be minimal by the study.

Yet problems arise when a truck or SUV is thrown into the mix. These vehicles are allowed to have higher bumpers, meaning that rear-end accidents between an SUV and car were found to cause much more damage. In many instances, the smaller car could slip under the larger one and destroy sensitive parts like a radiator.

"SUVs and cars share the road," said Joe Nolan, the Institute's chief administrative officer. "The problem is they don't share the same bumper rules, and consumers end up paying the price."

Automakers say that lowering the bumper wouldn't improve safety and could reduce the carrying capacity of light trucks. The group counters that car-based crossovers and similar vehicles would still be able to lower the bumper with no reduction in functionality.

Those who have their car totaled in an accident might find it cheaper to purchase a used car rather than pay a steep repair bill.