The Most Dangerous Cars
Vehicle crash safety and standards have improved dramatically in the past few decades. About 100 people a day die in vehicle accidents in the U.S., but the per-capita number of vehicle fatalities has dropped since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was formed in the early 1970s.
Occupant fatalities from car crashes occur almost twice as often in subcompact cars and sports cars compared to the average vehicle, according to a study by car research firm iSeeCars.com.
iSeeCars analyzed fatality data from the U.S. Fatality Analysis Reporting System of model year 2013-2017 cars and more than 25 million used cars from the same model years to see which vehicles are most often involved in fatal accidents. The data show that there are 14 models that are at least twice as likely as the average vehicle to be involved in a fatal accident.
Based on the iSeeCars study, these are the most dangerous cars, SUVs and light-duty pickup trucks most involved in fatal accidents.
1. Mitsubishi Mirage
Number of Cars in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 10.2
(The average for all vehicles is 2.6.)
Photo: Mitsubishi
2. Chevrolet Corvette
Number of Cars in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 9.8
Photo: Chevrolet
3. Honda Fit
Number of Cars in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 7.7
Photo: Honda
4. Kia Forte
Number of Cars in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 7.4
Photo: Darren Brode / Shutterstock
5. Chevrolet Spark
Number of Cars in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 7.2
Photo: Chevrolet
6. Subaru BRZ
Number of Cars in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 6.9
Photo: Subaru
7. Nissan 370Z
Number of Cars in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 6.2
Photo: Nissan
8. Nissan Versa
Number of Cars in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 6.1
Photo: Nissan
9. Kia Rio
Number of Cars in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 5.9
Photo: Kia
10. Dodge Challenger
Number of Cars in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 5.8
Photo: Dodge
11. Chevrolet Camaro
Number of Cars in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 5.5
Photo: Chevrolet
12. Kia Soul
Number of Cars in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 5.3
Photo: Kia
13. Hyundai Veloster Turbo
Number of Cars in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 5.2
Photo: Hyundai
14. Nissan Versa Note
Number of Cars in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 5.2
Photo: Nissan
SUVs have a fatal accident rate that is 34% lower than the overall average, but compact and subcompact SUVs account for nine of the 10 vehicles on this list of SUVs with the highest fatal accident rates, with the No. 3 Lincoln MKT, which is midsize, the only exception.
1. Kia Sportage
Number of Cars in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 3.8
(The average for all SUVs was 1.7.)
Photo: Ed Aldridge / Shutterstock
2. Jeep Wrangler
Number of Cars in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 3.6
Photo: Jeep
3. Lincoln MKT
Number of Cars in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 3.3
Photo: Lincoln
4. Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
Number of Cars in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 3.3
Photo: Mitsubishi
5. Buick Encore
Number of Cars in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 3.2
Photo: Buick
6. Mitsubishi Outlander
Number of Cars in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 3.2
Photo: Mitsubishi
7. Subaru Forester
Number of Cars in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 3.2
Photo: Subaru
8. Nissan Rogue
Number of Cars in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 2.9
Photo: Nissan
9. Honda CR-V
Number of Cars in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 2.7
Photo: Honda
10. Chevrolet Equinox
Number of Cars in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 2.5
Photo: Chevrolet
These are the light-duty pickup trucks with the highest fatality rates above average.
1. Nissan Frontier
Number of Trucks in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 3.9
The average for all light-duty pickups was 2.3; the compact Nissan Frontier has a rate 1.7 times higher than average.
Photo: Nissan
2. Ram Pickup 1500
Number of Trucks in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 2.6
Photo: Roman Korotkov / Shutterstock
3. Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Number of Trucks in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 2.5
Photo: Chevrolet
4. Toyota Tacoma
Number of Trucks in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 2.3
Photo: Toyota
5. Nissan Titan
Number of Trucks in Fatal Accidents per Billion Vehicle Miles: 2.3
Photo: Darren Brode / Shutterstock
ISeeCars also looked at fatalities by state. The car with the most frequent occupant fatalities by state went to the Toyota Yaris in Pennsylvania, where the number of these cars in fatal accidents per billion vehicle miles was 24.2. In California, the Chevrolet Corvette earned the distinction, with the number of those cars in fatal accidents per billion vehicle miles was 19.
Learn more about the methodology of this study at iSeeCars.com.
Photo: Toyota