Think Your SUV is Safe? Top 5 Most Common Vehicles Involved in Accidents

By Greg Kohn
Partner

Many drivers assume that they are safer in their SUVs in the event of a crash because SUVs are safer compared to lighter and smaller vehicles. However, while SUVs may have an advantage in accidents involving lighter vehicles, SUVs are much more likely to be involved in fatal single-vehicle crashes compared to cars, especially rollover accidents. Before you assume SUVs are safer, you may want to review some of the current data regarding motor vehicle accidents involving SUVs.

Being in a traffic accident involving any type of vehicle can result in traumatic injuries and substantial damages. If you are concerned that the type of vehicle you were riding in at the time of a crash is a factor in an accident claim, you can contact a New Jersey auto accident attorney to discuss the details of an injury claim.

What are the Current Motor Vehicle Accident Trends Related to SUVs?

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) compiles data from passenger vehicle accidents. Some of the trends related to motor vehicle crashes involving SUVs based on data from 2017 include:

  • Since 1975, car occupant deaths have decreased by 46 percent. However, SUV occupant deaths are 10 times as high.
  • Twenty-one percent of the drivers who died in traffic accidents during 2017 were SUV drivers.
  • Single-vehicle crashes accounted for 53 percent of SUV occupant deaths in 2017. Only forty percent of the car occupant deaths occurred in single-vehicle crashes that year.
  • Rollover crashes accounted for 45 percent of the occupant deaths in SUVs during 2017.
  • Only 17 percent of occupant deaths in cars were attributed to single-vehicle rollover crashes in 2017; however, 33 percent of occupant deaths in SUVs were attributed to single-vehicle rollover crashes.

Some crash statistics favored SUVs. Since 1978, the number of deaths in motor vehicle accidents has declined with SUV occupant deaths having the largest decline. SUVs also had the lowest number of deaths per registered vehicle in 2017.

Are SUVs Safer than Cars?

SUVs may have some safety advantages, especially in accidents involving smaller, lighter cars. However, that does not mean that SUVs are safer vehicles. It only means that you are comparing vehicles that have vastly different characteristics.

At least one study contradicts what most people believe about SUVs being safer than cars. According to ACCESS, researchers analyzed highway fatality data to determine if SUVs are safer than cars. The results were surprising.

When comparing risks to drivers of large cars and midsize cars, researchers found that the risk for these vehicles is about the same for the average SUV. The combined risk of compact cars and subcompact cars was only slighting higher than the average SUV. The risk for drivers of the safest compact and subcompact models was about the same as the average SUV. The study concluded that reduced vehicle weight does not imply reduced safety.

Five Cars Most Likely To Be Involved in an Accident

After examining over 2.4 million vehicles,WikiLender compiled a list of vehicles that were most likely to have been involved in an accident. Their top five vehicles were:

  • BMW 4 Series
  • BMW X1
  • Range Rover Evoque
  • Jaguar XJ
  • Infiniti JX

The other five vehicles that made the top 10 list were:

  • Lexus RX350
  • Audi A5
  • Cadillac ATS
  • Lexus CT200h
  • Infiniti QX60

Do You Need Help From a New Jersey Auto Accident Attorney?

If you have been injured in a car accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Schedule a consultation with our New Jersey car accident lawyers today. Our New Jersey auto accident attorneys can help you file an insurance claim, investigate the crash, gather evidence, and negotiate a fair settlement.

About the Author
Greg Kohn is a partner at Nagel Rice and specializes in complex civil litigation cases, including professional malpractice, personal injury, class actions, wrongful death, products liability, and commercial litigation.  He has extensive experience representing clients in both state and federal court. Greg has tried many jury trials to verdict and has recovered over $50 million in settlements and verdicts in all types of personal injury matters including automobile accidents, wrongful death cases, slip and falls, and other catastrophic injury cases. Greg also handles medical malpractice cases, involving misdiagnoses, wrongful birth, and delayed cancer diagnosis. If you have questions regarding this article, you can contact Greg here.