Drivers may be safer than ever thanks to improved car designs on some of the nation’s most popular car brands.
According to statistics recently released from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the fatality rate for car accidents has decreased by over a third in the last three years. The reduction in fatality rates has been attributed to the inclusion of new safety features on vehicles and improved structural designs.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study revealed that the safest car models include the Honda Odyssey, Audi A4, Kia Sorrento, Lexus RX 350, Mercedes-Benz GL, Toyota Highlander, Toyota Sequoia, Subaru Legacy and Volvo XC90. These nine models are listed as having an overall driver death rate of zero per million registered vehicles. Vehicle brands which generated the highest rate of deaths included the Kia Rio, Nissan Versa sedan, Hyundai Accent, Chevrolet Aveo, Chevrolet Camaro coupe and Honda Civic.
In 2012, over 33,000 individuals died in a car accident in the United States. Males between the ages of 20-24, or those older than age 85, are most at risk for a fatal car accident. The majority of individuals killed in fatal car accidents are passenger vehicle occupants (65%), followed by pedestrians (14%), motorcyclists (14%), bicyclists (2%) and large truck occupants (2%). Most fatal crashes occur on the weekends.
Better vehicle design and the addition of safety features in motor vehicles are not the only safety measures that can lead to the decline in car accident fatalities. Safety advocates highlight the use of seat belts, lowering of the national speed limit, mandatory helmet laws, sobriety check points and automated camera enforcement as vital parts of the effort to reduce motor vehicle fatalities throughout the country.
