7 of the deadliest cars on the road
Which cars carry the greatest risk of fatal accidents? If you said “smaller is more dangerous,” you’re on the right track.
In latest Insurance Institute for Highway Safety investigate of which car models sustain the highest rate of driver fatalities, the seven worst models were all what IIHS classifies as minicars or petite cars. While this verifies the commonsense notion that such vehicles would fare worse in serious crashes, it also shows a remarkably hefty gap in fatalities inbetween the smallest and largest cars on the road.
Of the seven worst, the Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio and Toyota Scion tC all have over one hundred driver fatalities per million registered vehicle years. (A registered vehicle year is one vehicle registered for one year). The next four vehicles on the worst list — the Chevrolet Spark, Nissan Versa, Ford Fiesta sedan and the Kia Soul — all have fatality rates over eighty (see very first table below).
By contrast, eleven vehicles — mostly large and midsize cars and SUVs — have zero fatalities by the same measure (see 2nd table below).
In model categories, four-door minicars had a rate of eighty seven per million registered vehicle years versus six for the lowest category, four-wheel drive large luxury SUVs. That’s harshly fifteen times the risk of fatalities.
And it’s something to consider when determining what car to buy. Published crash test ratings compare vehicles in the same category against one another. But in real-world accidents, puny cars often will be colliding with fatter vehicles.
The IIHS probe covers four years from the embark of two thousand twelve to the end of 2015, using the latest available data. It gives fatality rates for drivers of two thousand fourteen models but includes the same vehicles back to two thousand eleven models. The examine compares fatality figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with registration data from IHS Automotive (the IIHS data covers only drivers, given that every car in an accident has one of those but not necessarily any passengers).
The total number of annual highway deaths had been trending downward since the 1970s and fell sharply during the Good Recession. But that total has commenced rising again beginning in two thousand fifteen as the economy has improved, unemployment has fallen and Americans are driving more, according to IIHS. More driving generally results in more fatalities.
Previous studies displayed death rates falling because of improved safety equipment in cars. “Vehicles proceed to improve, performing better and better in crash tests,” said David Zuby, IIHS executive vice president and chief research officer. “The latest driver death rates display that there’s a limit to how much these switches can accomplish without other kinds of efforts.”
Remaining safety issues include dispersed driving and driving under the influence, as well as speeding.
The IIHS report also speaks to the hope that self-driving vehicles can greatly reduce traffic accidents and fatalities. “The latest surge in crash avoidance technologies along with the development of autonomous vehicles has the potential to bring down crash rates,” it said.
“However it will be decades before such technologies are present in all fresh vehicles,” the IIHS added. “Vehicles with varying degrees of automation will be sharing the road with conventional vehicles for some time.”
© two thousand seventeen CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved. Go after @MoneyWatchCars
7 of the deadliest cars on the road – CBS News
7 of the deadliest cars on the road
Which cars carry the greatest risk of fatal accidents? If you said “smaller is more dangerous,” you’re on the right track.
In latest Insurance Institute for Highway Safety explore of which car models sustain the highest rate of driver fatalities, the seven worst models were all what IIHS classifies as minicars or petite cars. While this verifies the commonsense notion that such vehicles would fare worse in serious crashes, it also shows a remarkably large gap in fatalities inbetween the smallest and largest cars on the road.
Of the seven worst, the Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio and Toyota Scion tC all have over one hundred driver fatalities per million registered vehicle years. (A registered vehicle year is one vehicle registered for one year). The next four vehicles on the worst list — the Chevrolet Spark, Nissan Versa, Ford Fiesta sedan and the Kia Soul — all have fatality rates over eighty (see very first table below).
By contrast, eleven vehicles — mostly large and midsize cars and SUVs — have zero fatalities by the same measure (see 2nd table below).
In model categories, four-door minicars had a rate of eighty seven per million registered vehicle years versus six for the lowest category, four-wheel drive large luxury SUVs. That’s toughly fifteen times the risk of fatalities.
And it’s something to consider when determining what car to buy. Published crash test ratings compare vehicles in the same category against one another. But in real-world accidents, puny cars often will be colliding with fatter vehicles.
The IIHS examine covers four years from the commence of two thousand twelve to the end of 2015, using the latest available data. It gives fatality rates for drivers of two thousand fourteen models but includes the same vehicles back to two thousand eleven models. The probe compares fatality figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with registration data from IHS Automotive (the IIHS data covers only drivers, given that every car in an accident has one of those but not necessarily any passengers).
The total number of annual highway deaths had been trending downward since the 1970s and fell sharply during the Excellent Recession. But that total has commenced rising again beginning in two thousand fifteen as the economy has improved, unemployment has fallen and Americans are driving more, according to IIHS. More driving generally results in more fatalities.
Previous studies displayed death rates falling because of improved safety equipment in cars. “Vehicles proceed to improve, performing better and better in crash tests,” said David Zuby, IIHS executive vice president and chief research officer. “The latest driver death rates showcase that there’s a limit to how much these switches can accomplish without other kinds of efforts.”
Remaining safety issues include dissipated driving and driving under the influence, as well as speeding.
The IIHS report also speaks to the hope that self-driving vehicles can greatly reduce traffic accidents and fatalities. “The latest surge in crash avoidance technologies along with the development of autonomous vehicles has the potential to bring down crash rates,” it said.
“However it will be decades before such technologies are present in all fresh vehicles,” the IIHS added. “Vehicles with varying degrees of automation will be sharing the road with conventional vehicles for some time.”
© two thousand seventeen CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved. Go after @MoneyWatchCars