Are you driving one of the safest nine vehicle models?
A study by The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) shows that improved vehicle designs can play a major role in reducing the number of deaths from fatal car accidents. The study found that nine vehicle models released in 2011 had a driver death rate of zero. In other words, accidents involving these nine vehicles did not result in any deaths during the period of the IIHS study.
The Nine Safest Models
- Honda Odyssey
- Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
- Toyota Sequioa
- Toyota Highlander Hybrid
- Subaru Legacy
- Lexus RX 350
- Volvo XC90
- Audi A4
- Kia Sorento 2WS.
Reducing Fatal Car Accidents
The past three years have seen accident death risks in the latest model vehicles plummet by more than a third, says the IIHS report. “There were 7,700 fewer driver deaths in 2012 alone than there would have been had vehicles remained the same since 1985,” estimates the report. Other factors contributing to the declining rates of accident rates include “improved roadways and a crackdown on drunk driving,” according to a report published in cnbc.com.
Safety experts are hopeful that improved safety features and the use of technology in cars, trucks, and commercial vehicles will continue to help lower the number of fatal road accidents. However, the wide gap in the driver death rates of the safest and the most risky models could be a cause for concern. In fact, three 2011 vehicle models surveyed by the IIHS had death rates of more than 100 per million registered vehicles in the country. The 19 riskiest 2011 models had death rates exceeding 46, according to the IIHS study.
The Riskest Car Models
“At the bottom was the Kia Rio, which had a death rate of 149, followed by the Nissan Versa sedan,” according to a CNBC report based on the IIHS study. The report also mentioned two cars with rates of more than 65 deaths per year. Those two cars were The Chevrolet Silverado and the Mercury Grand Marquis sedan.
Safety experts believe that the goal of zero highway deaths a year is achievable, but it may take years to materialize the dream. They also stress the importance of bringing “changes in public policy and road design that can protect all drivers.”
If you or loved one has suffered an injury as a result of a auto accident, contact a St. Louis car wreck attorney to learn whether you or the victim is entitled to financial compensation. Call The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C. at (314) 361-4242.