The number of fatal car crashes in the United States is dropping partly because cars are being made to withstand crash impacts better. However, some vehicles continue to have comparatively high rates of fatalities, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The Institute periodically publishes a list of the passenger vehicle makes and models with the most driver deaths. Recent data show that the highest death rates for fatal motor vehicle accidents involved many cars and small cars for 15 of the 20 models. Surprisingly, almost half of these models with the lowest death rates included luxury SUVs.
Regardless of vehicle size, drivers stand a better chance of avoiding fatal crashes today than they did 20 or 25 years ago.
The Ford F-series, which includes the F-350, the F-250, and the F-150, was involved in the most significant number of fatal car accidents. They accounted for approximately 65% of all fatal accidents.
Despite that, the Ford F-series does not cost a considerable amount of money to insure and is rated the fourth cheapest to purchase insurance for. There were more than 726,000 Ford F-series sold in 2021. The IIHS reported 10,845 fatal car accidents in their most recent study.
Consumers purchased nearly 530,000 Chevrolet Silverados in 2021. This is one of the nation’s largest pickup trucks and was involved in nearly 7,800 fatal car accidents, as reported by the IIHS.
It is massive in size, but the number of fatal accidents involving Silverados has been increasing. The average cost of insuring a Chevy Silverado is just over $3,000.
The Honda Accord is one of the most popular sedans on the market. However, it was also involved in more than 5,000 crashes. Occupants of Honda Accords suffered more fatalities than drivers.
According to the study, there were 0.70 occupants killed in Honda Accords per fatal crash. Only the Ford Mustang has a higher score at 0.71 occupants killed per fatal crash. It costs approximately $3,000 to insure a Honda Accord, and there were more than 200,000 sold in 2021.
According to the report that includes the list, the smallest vehicles on the road tend to have the highest death rates. Small cars or minicars tend to offer less protection to drivers because of their small size and low weight.
The report stated that the number of vehicles with more than 100 driver fatalities per 1 million registered vehicle years (one vehicle registered for one year) dropped. Seven vehicles on the list of most recent models had zero fatalities — which the Institute said was a record. These models include:
In general, SUVs have the lowest driver fatalities rate since designs have been improved to reduce the risk of rollover and increase stability. Additionally, the Institute said that larger vehicles tend to offer more protection to drivers because of their size.
After reviewing the data, you may be surprised that some of the most popular trucks, SUVs, and cars are also some of the deadliest. These vehicles are widely available and affordable to consumers across the country.
What does this mean? Accidents can happen to anyone, anytime. For this reason, you must take steps to drive defensively at all times. Be aware of your surroundings, never rely on other drivers to drive safely, and avoid distractions.
Our car accident lawyers serve clients throughout the Chicago area, including Aurora, Elgin, Hinsdale, Joliet, Naperville, and Waukegan. Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C. have experience getting crash victims the compensation they deserve. If you’ve been injured, call us today at (312) 736-0767 for a free consultation.
When you’re fighting for maximum compensation, we know what it takes to get it.
