Rather unsurprisingly, a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety or IIHS found muscle cars like the Chevy Camaro to be among the models with the most fatal accidents annually, along with small cars and minicars.
At the opposite end of the scale, IIHS research showed minivans, SUVs, and certain luxury cars as some of the safest vehicles currently on the road.
While muscle cars are among the deadliest vehicles in terms of driver and other-driver deaths, IIHS points out luxury vehicles with almost the same performance are among the safest on the road based on statistics. Many of the luxury vehicles with their infrequent deaths and high safety record are just as powerful and accelerate almost as quickly as the muscle cars.
IIHS speculates the difference results from the perception of the vehicles and how they are driven as a result. The race-inspired features and aesthetics of muscle cars, IIHS suggests, prompt aggressive, dangerous driving. Meanwhile, equally powerful and capable luxury vehicles are seen as refined and comfortable, leading to careful, safe driving despite the horsepower under the hood.
For deaths of the vehicle driver, the two most fatal types of cars are large sports or muscle cars and small cars, including minicars. While muscle car deaths may be due to reckless driving, small cars and minicars offer reduced protection to the driver and suffer worse damage in collisions with larger vehicles.
Small Mitsubishi, Hyundai, and Kia vehicles are particularly fatal to their own drivers in accidents. However, small GM cars, including the Chevy Spark and Chevy Sonic, also make the list of vehicles with a high lethality to their own drivers when involved in a crash. Kia vehicles tend to be involved in fatal accidents frequently, including both driver and other-driver deaths, regardless of size.
Large passenger vehicles (with the exception of sports cars and muscle cars) tend to be safer for their own drivers, but – again unsurprisingly – cause more other-driver fatalities in accidents. Ford and Ram pickups are among the most deadly to other drivers, while the Chevy Blazer was the only GM vehicle to make the other-driver fatality list. GM pickups are notably absent from the list of top killers.
The Buick Encore scores as the best vehicle for few other-driver deaths, causing only 6 fatalities per million versus the Ram 3500’s 189 other-driver deaths per million. The Chevy Bolt EV, Chevy Trax, and Chevy Traverse are also among the least-lethal vehicles for other drivers.
Perhaps surprisingly, the safest vehicles for drivers (as opposed to other drivers) are not the largest passenger vehicles, but mid-size models. Drivers of mid-size SUVs, mid-size minivans, and mid-size luxury vehicles fared the best for survival in crashes. While BMWs, Toyotas, Volvos, and various European and Japanese vehicles fill most of the list, the Chevy Traverse was once again a winner, with only 6 deaths per million drivers.
The IIHS study used data from 2018 through 2021, focusing most strongly on 2020 vehicle models.
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Comments
This doesn’t surprise me at all. Especially since the majority of the people buying these cars like the Camaro, Charger, Challenger and Mustang are young and inexperienced. When I was 17 my first car was a 71 Chevelle stock 350, power glide with a one legger 3.08 gears. I drove it and modified it. I was able to get used to the car, so when I built a 350 hp 355 engine I was comfortable with the car. Now these cars are 455 and up plus posi out of the box. I want a ZL1, and I couldn’t imagine what 650hp feels like. That’s a lot of power for a seasoned driver, let alone a beginner driver. It’s truly sad when they take someone else with them or kill someone else.
Glad you said “the majority of people buying these cars” because I just bought my dream car three years ago when I was 72, a 2010 SS Camaro that has been made into a ZL1 clone. All aluminum 427 LS7 6spd. manual pumping out a tad over 650HP.(I have the dyno sheets). It’s even got 20″ ZL1 wheels. I grew up when 300hp was a big deal. I owned a SS Nova 350/300 back then, I won’t say I didn’t get any tickets, but I have never been in an accident in all my life (knock on wood)
Chevy man I’m with you I’m 77 and I drive a 2011 Camaro SS it’s also been modified ZL1 blower, etc.,etc. i haven’t ever been in an accident either but even at 525 hp i have to be careful not to get on it to hard or the back end comes around in a hurry but it’s still a fun ride
This is so preventable yet in typical American fashion its all whining and no action.
Require special licensing to drive 500+ hp cars. We require licenses for limos, semis, buses etc but we can’t require a special drivers license for a high hp fast car that can kill others when piloted by inexperienced drivers?
Yeah, Yeah, keep talkng about these “special licenses” guys. I’m sure the EV promoting powers-that-be would love to make (that is – charge/tax exhorbitantly) a “special license” for ANYone who drives a gasoline powered vehicle soon enough.
Not to defend idiot behavior. I’ve done my share of HDPEs and other closed course track events to the point that it boils my blood whenever I see young idoits hooning around on public roads. That’s not the place for it.
All that said though, be careful what you ask for.
Imbecilic idea.
No kidding? Who is surprised by this?
This is such an obvious statement – have you ever seen the idiots leaving the coffee and cars events? But then again these cars are designed for spirited driving. Boring cars suck, why do you think these cars sell?
I don’t care what your driving, “Speed Kills”.
Only if you don’t know what you’re doing, Harley Man. I’ve been up around the 150 range many times. Oh, and I’m still alive at 75.
Inexperience, drunk driving, and especially fatigue and texting while driving are bigger factors than speed. In fact, as bad as drunk driving is (it is certainly bad and deadly), study after study has demonstrated that drowsy driving (and falling sleep at the wheel) are involved in even more fatal accidents.
Any vehicle from any brand that is still equipped from the factory in which they are built; Those vehicles that are diven abusively: our planets gravity, atmosphere CHOKE those REGULAR parts. The Tires, chassis bushings, other chassis components are not designed to handle that abuse. [EVERYBODY HAS FALLEN FOR PEER PRESSURE and EGO] No matter your age or generation. When those folks who were driven by [who can make a better automobile, gets the prize: is Monster (EGO) who designs, builds/blueprints our vehicles is to blame]!!!…
I’m a baby boomer and grew up in the muscle car age. We would hear more HP than brains and I’m talking 150-200 HP. Today, four cylinders do over 200 hp. I blame allot of on too many TV shows and the main purpose it more HP, bolts on for more HP. Add on headers and cat back exhaust for more HP. Cam changes, higher pressure fuel pumps for high performance injectors, etc, etc, etc. And the result? Watch a 20 second burnout.
Put a twenty year old in a high performance luxury vehicle and the crash rate would be the same if it was a Camaro. How many have been destroyed by a valet?
I’m in my mid-fifties now but have always been irritated by attention seeking idiots that think they impress by having high horsepower cars while having no idea how to drive/control them. I have always had modded, high power cars(mostly Vettes), but when I was young my mother insisted I attend a performance driving school out in Arizona, then a race school in SoCal. Besides car control and ability, the most important thing I learned was respect for other people while on public roads. No one is impressed by your burnouts, drifting attempts, high speeds or other stupid $hit on public roads. I have been involved in autoX, and track day events near my whole adult life. I would like to see special licenses required for high performance and modded vehicles. They should be required to be 25 years old and successfully pass a minimum 2-day performance driving school. I am certain that crashes and fatalities involving performance cars would be significantly reduced.
I am the owner of a 2112 Chevy Camaro SS Convertible, my retirement vehicle, but this article, does not mention the electric cars today with insane 0-60 or 0-100 mph, so I am sure they also are not safe, at this acceleration either.
Yes, there will be many more fatalities when super heavy electric cars and trucks, like the GM Hummer, weighing in over 9000 lbs , proliferate the streets. EV batteries alone can weigh a ton or more.
Physics, physics, physics.
By God, why can’t this EV crazied government and the loonies in the House and Senate who continue to push EV vehicles see this ?
Manufacturers : It’ll take a half century or more after ICE production ends for the roads to have EVs in the majority . The number of deaths will be mind boggling. Take a stand or don’t you care ?
EV’s are getting the same notoriety as when muscles cars came on the scene promoted by John Delorean, more HP is better. EV’s boost about range but it come from more batteries, higher voltages. In between they brag on 0-60mph in 3.5 seconds
Take the bad and unrespectable habits out the driver and eliminate most of this vehicular homicide happening on these roads !
Any vehicle in untrained hands can be fatal. The performance cars are more desirable and engaging to younger men, who in turn take more chances to wring out the excitement. Nobody does anything engaging in a Prius unless you want to see if the miles to empty gauge is accurate, because they are not fun or engaging. As with anything, if you are not versed in how it works, much like chopping wood- it can be deadly and also to those around the untrained.
I am 72 years old and I wish that for those folks over 65 to be included to have to pass a drivers test every two years. Let’s be honest how many readers have been stuck behind an older person going 25 miles an hour in a 40 mph zone? You could also identify an older driver by the way they go really slowly around street corners.
Once again, I am retired & really 72 years old and realize that an older person driving test would include me. Personally though getting stuck behind someone driving 55 mph in the speed lane is aggravating. I genuinely believe that many of our older population exhibit diminishing driving abilities. I hope that when I start driving poorly and endanger other drivers that my family members hide my car keys from me.
I agree with most comments about speeding can kill. Yes, it’s usually the young individuals, who take speeding for granted and think their indestructible. There are so many things that can happen with little to no time to react. And let’s not forget about texting and driving. How many times have we all seen it and want to get away from that driver?
I just purchased a 2023 C8 Corvette and I still have my 2010 2SS Camaro. I respect both vehicles for their potential of speed. It’s just not worth it to speed insanely and how many times do you hear about someone getting into an accident and they are hurt bad and others have died. Then that person has to live with that on their conscience for the rest of their lives. It’s just not worth the price to speed insanely around others.
Just reported today that a women pregnant with child was killed in a Silverado whilst the tried to avoid an alligator on the street. The roof look completely caved in.