According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the following cars are involved in the most collisions:
- Kia Rio
- Nissan Versa
- Hyundai Accent 4 Door
- Chevrolet Aveo
- Hyundai Accent 2 Door
- Chevrolet Camaro
- Chevrolet Silverado
- Honda Civic
- Nissan Versa
- Ford Focus
This is quite a diversified group, with everything from compacts to a 4-wheel drive pickup. Clearly, each vehicle made the list for different reasons. Why are these vehicles so deadly? According to experts, here are some of the properties that may contribute to a high accident rate:
- Small and light
- High center of gravity (especially in cases of single-vehicle accidents)
- Less durable structural design
- High performance (may influence drivers to speed)
- Shorter wheelbase
- Fewer recent safety features
Driver Personality?
Some men and women believe that in the case of high-crash incident sports cars, it's not the vehicle that's the issue, it's the driver. They theorize that speeders are more likely to own sports cars. If you commute on busy Jamestown highways, you may agree with this.
Since youth are more likely to speed than older drivers, perhaps the deadliest combination is a 17-year-old in a Ferrari - basically, Ferris Bueller.
Another disadvantage for the adolescent sector is the fact that many adolescents drive smaller, older autos that do not have modern safety features such as airbags, antilock brakes, updated seatbelts, traction control, and head restraints. It makes you question whether more parents should zip around in the old family beater and let their 16-year-old take the new SUV. (Gulp...)
Whether your vehicle has advanced features like backup cameras and forward collision warning (FCW), or long-standard airbags and antilock brakes, they need to be operating properly in order to protect you. If you're not sure, fasten your seatbelt and come into I-86 Truck & Auto Repair for a safety inspection.
Sources:
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention