Cars with the highest driver death rates; Did your vehicle make the list? (2024)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The type of vehicle you’re driving plays a major role in how protected you are in the event of a crash.

To help drivers get a handle on which personal vehicles offer the most and least safety, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released a new study analyzing the highest and lowest death rates for all model year 2020 vehicles.

The IIHS conducts this study every three years, but for the first time researchers also analyzed the rate at which drivers of other vehicles are killed in crashes with a given model, an indication that those models have a higher risk of harming others in the event of a collision.

The study, which analyzed driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, found that 14 of the 21 vehicles with the highest driver death rates were either small cars, minis or muscle cars.

Meanwhile, 18 of the 23 vehicles with the lowest driver death rates were minivans or SUVs, while 12 of the 23 were luxury vehicles, which tend to offer higher levels of protection.

“We typically find that smaller vehicles have high driver death rates because they don’t provide as much protection, especially in crashes with larger, heavier SUVs and pickups,” said IIHS President David Harkey. “The muscle cars on this list highlight that a vehicle’s image and how it is marketed can also contribute to crash risk.”

The average driver death rate per million registered vehicle years for all vehicles was 38 deaths, with mini cars having the highest death rate, at 153, and very large luxury cars boasting the lowest death rate at 4.

In terms of other driver deaths, very large pickup trucks had the highest rate, averaging 121 deaths per million registered vehicle years, while small sports cars had the lowest rate, averaging 11 deaths.

“Overall, newer vehicles are much safer than those of the past,” said Chuck Farmer, vice president of research and statistical services, who calculated the rates. “But, unfortunately, there are still major differences in the levels of protection that various models provide.”

Here’s a look at the deadliest and safest cars on the road, according to the study.

HIGHEST RATE OF DRIVER DEATHS

1. Mitsubishi Mirage G4 - Minicar - 205 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
2. Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback - Minicar - 183 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
3. Dodge Challenger 2WD - Large car - 154 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
4. Hyundai Accent - Minicar - 152 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
5. Chevrolet Spark - Minicar - 151 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
6. Kia Rio sedan - Minicar - 122 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
7. Dodge Charger HEMI 2WD - Large car - 118 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
8. Chevrolet Camaro convertible - Large sports car - 113 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
9. Nissan Altima - Midsize car - 113 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
10. Kia Forte - Small car - 111 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years

LOWEST RATE OF DRIVER DEATHS

1. BMW X3 4WD - Midsize luxury SUV - 0 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
2. Lexus ES 350 - Midsize luxury car - 0 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
3. Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan 4WD - Large luxury car - 0 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
4. Nissan Pathfinder 2WD - Midsize SUV - 0 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
5. Audi Q5 4WD - Midsize luxury SUV - 2 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
6. Toyota C-HR - Small SUV - 2 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
7. Nissan Murano 2WD - Midsize SUV - 4 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
8. Volvo XC90 4WD - Midsize luxury SUV - 4 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
9. GMC Canyon Crew Cab 4WD - Small pickup - 5 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
10. Lexus RX 350 4WD - Midsize luxury SUV - 5 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years

HIGHEST RATE OF OTHER DRIVER DEATHS

1. Ram 3500 Crew Cab long bed 4WD - Very large pickup - 189 other driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
2. Dodge Charger HEMI 2WD - Large car - 164 other driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
3. Ford F-350 Crew Cab 4WD - Very large pickup - 147 other driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
4. Ram 2500 Mega Cab 4WD - Very large pickup - 145 other driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
5. Kia Optima - Midsize car - 134 other driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
6. Kia Rio sedan - Minicar - 133 other driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
7. Ram 2500 Crew Cab short bed 4WD - Very large pickup - 122 other driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
8. Ford F-250 Crew Cab 4WD - Very large pickup - 120 other driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
9. Dodge Charger 2WD - Large car - 105 other driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
10. Ram 1500 Crew Cab short bed 2WD - Large pickup - 104 other driver deaths per million registered vehicle years

LOWEST RATE OF OTHER DRIVER DEATHS

1. Buick Encore 4WD - Small luxury SUV - 6 other driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
2. Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan 4WD - Large luxury car - 10 other driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
3. Acura MDX 4WD - Midsize luxury SUV - 14 other driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
4. Subaru Ascent - Midsize SUV - 16 other driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
5. Toyota RAV4 hybrid 4WD - Small SUV - 16 other driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
6. Volvo XC60 4WD - Midsize luxury SUV - 16 other driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
7. Porsche Macan - Midsize luxury SUV - 18 other driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
8. Chevrolet Bolt - Small car - 19 other driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
9. Chevrolet Trax 4WD - Small SUV - 19 other driver deaths per million registered vehicle years
10. Honda HR-V 4WD - Small SUV - 19 other driver deaths per million registered vehicle years