New study reveals 10 cars most likely to kill you
Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 11:28 am
New study reveals 10 cars most likely to kill you
By Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY
Here's our countdown of the 10 cars that IIHS says
Here's our countdown of the 10 cars that IIHS says
In ninth place, Nissan Versa hatchback
In eighth place, Honda Civic, seen here in the hybrid
In seventh place, Chevrolet SilveradoCrew Cab
In sixth place, Chevrolet Camaro, which comes in both
In fifth place, Chevrolet Aveo
In fifth place, Hyundai Accent two door
In third place, Hyundai Accent in the four-door version
In second place, Nissan Versa sedan
And in first place with 149 driver deaths, Kia Rio
A new study shows a wide range in driver death rates, with the smallest, cheapest cars proving to be the most risky in an serious accident.
The study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which looked at large-sales volume vehicles between the 2008 and 2011 model years, found that the four-door versions of Kia Rio, Nissan Versa and Hyundai Accent had the highest rates of driver deaths per million registered vehicles. For the Rio, for instance, it was 149 deaths over the study period, 2009 to 2012.
The vehicles with the highest death rates also happened to be among the cheapest, entry-level models, but IIHS spokesman Russ Rader says that cost wasn't a big factor.
"The highest death rates are in the smallest, lightest vehicles," he says, once again showing that the greater mass makes a difference in the physics of a crash. "It's Packaging 101: If the occupant compartment stays intact, the seat belts and air bags can do their jobs."
There were a couple of exceptions in the top 10: The Chevrolet Camaro sporty car and the Chevrolet Silverado crew cab pickup.
He says that all cars make a big improvement in the latest study. He recalled a crash test on a 1997 Dodge Neon, another small car from an earlier era, where the passenger compartment "just collapses" in a crash test.
The study took into account that some models have disproportionately high rates of young, male drivers -- the riskiest group -- and tried to compensate.
Here's the list of the models with the highest death rates, and the number of deaths over the study period:
1. Kia Rio four-door, 149
2. Nissan Versa, 130
3. Hyundai Accent four-door, 120
4. Chevrolet Aveo, 99
5. Hyundai Accent two-door, 86
6. Chevrolet Camaro, 80
7. Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew, 79
8. Honda Civic, 76
9. Nissan Versa hatchback, 71
10. Ford Focus, 70
By Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY
Here's our countdown of the 10 cars that IIHS says
Here's our countdown of the 10 cars that IIHS says
In ninth place, Nissan Versa hatchback
In eighth place, Honda Civic, seen here in the hybrid
In seventh place, Chevrolet SilveradoCrew Cab
In sixth place, Chevrolet Camaro, which comes in both
In fifth place, Chevrolet Aveo
In fifth place, Hyundai Accent two door
In third place, Hyundai Accent in the four-door version
In second place, Nissan Versa sedan
And in first place with 149 driver deaths, Kia Rio
A new study shows a wide range in driver death rates, with the smallest, cheapest cars proving to be the most risky in an serious accident.
The study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which looked at large-sales volume vehicles between the 2008 and 2011 model years, found that the four-door versions of Kia Rio, Nissan Versa and Hyundai Accent had the highest rates of driver deaths per million registered vehicles. For the Rio, for instance, it was 149 deaths over the study period, 2009 to 2012.
The vehicles with the highest death rates also happened to be among the cheapest, entry-level models, but IIHS spokesman Russ Rader says that cost wasn't a big factor.
"The highest death rates are in the smallest, lightest vehicles," he says, once again showing that the greater mass makes a difference in the physics of a crash. "It's Packaging 101: If the occupant compartment stays intact, the seat belts and air bags can do their jobs."
There were a couple of exceptions in the top 10: The Chevrolet Camaro sporty car and the Chevrolet Silverado crew cab pickup.
He says that all cars make a big improvement in the latest study. He recalled a crash test on a 1997 Dodge Neon, another small car from an earlier era, where the passenger compartment "just collapses" in a crash test.
The study took into account that some models have disproportionately high rates of young, male drivers -- the riskiest group -- and tried to compensate.
Here's the list of the models with the highest death rates, and the number of deaths over the study period:
1. Kia Rio four-door, 149
2. Nissan Versa, 130
3. Hyundai Accent four-door, 120
4. Chevrolet Aveo, 99
5. Hyundai Accent two-door, 86
6. Chevrolet Camaro, 80
7. Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew, 79
8. Honda Civic, 76
9. Nissan Versa hatchback, 71
10. Ford Focus, 70
