Death by Clean Air?

I don't believe hybrid cars are going to save the world. Just the opposite, actually. I have a few theories on jumping on bandwagons, but the supposed "go green" movement in particular bothers me. Hybrid cars in general are a good idea, just like communism, but in practice, I think they're going to cause a lot of problems. Here's why:
Hybrids are, in general, very small cars. Take the Prius, which is the car I'm going to focus on. The Prius starts at around $22,000, and supposedly gets between 51 and 48 miles per gallon. I never believe the manufacturer's miles per gallon ratings because of all the cars I've ever owned, I've never gotten the miles per gallon the manufacturer claimed I would, but for the sake of argument, let's say it actually does get 49 miles per gallon.
Let's also say you want floor mats, a couple of extras, and you'd like your Prius to be red. I went to Toyota's website, entered my zip code, and my Prius would be about $28,000. So, suddenly the price has jumped six grand, and some of the options aren't exactly optional. Now, you know you can drive forever on a tank of gas, so you are suddenly driving a whole lot more than you ever used to. The car is zippy and fun and even though it doesn't really have any get up and go, it also costs nothing to drive, and you feel basically no guilt at all because you've made your carbon footprint nearly a negative. You can drive to the moon and back without hurting the environment!
The trouble with this theory is that the more you're on the road, the more you increase your likelihood of having an accident. Have you seen these cars? They might as well be made of cardboard, because if you have a collision with a little red wagon, you're toast. There is no protection whatsoever. Oh, sure, there's ABS and airbags, but you have to actually hit something head-on in order for the airbags to deploy. You're not going to hit another car in a Prius. You're going to slide right under another car until the other car's under carriage crushes the top of your Prius, and there's no airbag that can fix that. I suppose you could wear a helmet.
Another problem with a Prius is that with the economy the way it is, people can't really afford to spend $28,000 on a car that isn't isn't handy in all sorts of weather. Most people in this country deal with snow at least part of the year. Those that don't have hurricanes, tornadoes, mudslides, floods and/or earthquakes to contend with, and while they're not necessarily driving in them, they probably have to be prepared to, and I'm not convinced the Prius is really the best car to handle road conditions that aren't ideal. Add to that the fact that you probably can't pack more than a purse into is, let alone your children and pets, and you've got a real problem there.
Not to mention you could buy a full size truck for just slightly more than the Prius costs, and in this economy, the truck manufacturers are promising to make your payments for you if you lose your job, and trucks are looking more and more appealing. They're safer in bad weather and collisions, haul more, and also look better. You're not out driving for no apparent reason, which means less likely collisions to begin with, and also less toxins being emitted simply because you're not running your vehicle. newsflash, people: hybrids aren't completely emission free- they just give off less. Everyone else is jumping on the clean air hybrid loving bandwagon, so you also don't have to wait in line to put gas in your truck. It's pretty much win-win!
I think trucks and SUVs are still the way to go, and I'll sing their praises loud and proud.