Are You Driving A Dangerous Vehicle on the Road?

Some cars are more dangerous than others. That’s a fact.

Of course, many accidents are due to factors like weather, lack of education, and recklessness rather than defects within the cars themselves. Still, certain models and makes of cars have higher-than-average accident statistics and it’s something worth considering, especially if you’re driving kids or have teens of driving age.

Here’s a quick look at some of the most dangerous vehicles on the road you should think twice about taking for a spin…

Chevy Corvette
Sure, they may look cool but Chevy Corvettes have arguably killed more people than any other car in history. It likely has something to do with the type of people who tend to buy Corvettes and the fact they go from 0 to 60 in less than 4 seconds. For every 10,000 Corvettes registered in the U.S. nearly 6 people die per year. Compare that to 0.6 people for Volvos.

Smart Cars
Smart Cars are environmentally friendly and they can always find a parking spot. But in the U.S. where massive SUVs reign supreme are they really a smart car to be zooming in and out of traffic in? Some crash test have shown Smart Cars (particularly the Four Two) can become airborne while involved in an accident at only 40 miles an hour.

Mitsubishi Eclipse
Similar to the safety-challenged Gallant, the Eclipse has an aged frame and none of the safety features of most of the cars in its class. It performs awfully in single-vehicle crash and actually has a very high rollover rate for a car with such a low center of gravity.

Ford Explorer
Disclaimer here: Explorers actually aren’t that unsafe, relatively, compared to in-class vehicles but they are incredibly dangerous to others. The vehicle’s over 16 times more likely to kill passengers in another car than similarly-sized SUVs. Ford made some changes in 1990 to the tires and rollover rates and though the car’s still a danger to others, it’s more safe for its own passengers.

Kia Rio
The Kia Rio is cute and it’s affordable! But you may be paying a heavy price for the bargain. It leads the pack in passenger deaths in its class and it’s startlingly bare when it comes to safety features. The Rio reports nearly 25 injuries for every 1,000 insured vehicles on the road each year which is incredibly high.

More generally, these are the most dangerous classes of vehicles on the road, per death rates:

• Sports cars (particularly coupes)
• Motorcycles
• Narrow-frame SUVs
• Compact pickups
• Convertibles

It’s important to remember that a car is only as safe as its driver. If you’ve got a teen, consider having them attend an online driving class (you’ll lower your insurance rates, too!) and if you’ve had a DUI on your record, be sure to attend all court-mandated risk reduction classes, too. Staying safe on the road is your responsibility.