Muscle Cars: Recent Driver Fatality Rates Expose Alarming Risks
A recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that American muscle cars, known for their powerful engines and cool image, are some of the most dangerous vehicles on the road. These cars pose significant risks not only to the drivers but also to other vehicles on the road.
The IIHS looked at data for 2020 and found that out of the 21 cars with the highest driver death rates, six were versions of the Dodge Charger, Dodge Challenger, Chevrolet Camaro, and Ford Mustang. Eight others were minicars or small cars. On the other hand, among the 23 vehicles with the lowest driver death rates, 18 were SUVs or minivans, and 12 were luxury cars.
The study also showed smaller vehicles have higher driver death rates because they don’t offer as much protection, especially in crashes with bigger SUVs and trucks. Additionally, the study found that a car’s image and how it’s marketed can also affect the likelihood of accidents.
For the first time, IIHS analyzed the best and worst models based on the number of drivers in other vehicles who were killed in crashes with them. This showed that large vehicles can be more dangerous to other road users. Interestingly, some muscle cars with high driver death rates also performed poorly regarding other-driver deaths, suggesting aggressive driving behavior.
Large pickups and midsize SUVs were among the vehicles with the highest other-driver death rates. Some of these vehicles also ranked poorly in terms of driver death rates. On the other hand, the vehicles with the lowest other-driver death rates included small and midsize cars and some luxury cars.
The study covered fatalities from 2018 to 2021 for vehicles from the 2020 model year and earlier models with similar designs.
Highlighting Death Rates and Safety Ratings
The IIHS safety ratings and driver death rates serve as valuable tools that aid in understanding different risks on the road. The safety ratings provided by IIHS allow for comparisons of vehicles within the same size category, and they are based on front crash tests at 40 mph into a stationary barrier.
In contrast, driver death rates allow for comparisons of vehicles across different classes, but they are not solely influenced by the vehicle. The crash database takes into account factors like driver age and gender to make adjustments to the rates. For instance, it considers that men may be involved in more crashes than women, and older drivers could face a higher risk of fatal accidents. However, the rates do not consider driving speeds and daily mileage, which can also impact fatality rates.
When comparing the best and worst performers, the impact of these factors becomes evident. Nine models appear on both lists of vehicles with the lowest driver and other-driver death rates, including luxury cars such as Audi Q5, Acura MDX, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Subaru Ascent, Lexus RX 350, and Toyota C-HR. Advanced safety features, commonly found in luxury vehicles and some Subarus, improve performance. Conversely, many worst performers lack crash avoidance systems and receive lower IIHS crashworthiness ratings.
Besides features and capabilities, the difference between muscle cars and luxury vehicles with similar horsepower raises interesting questions. Luxury cars are associated with comfort, while muscle cars evoke the history of drag racing, emphasizing power and performance in their marketing. Experts believe this image may encourage more aggressive driving, potentially leading to higher fatality rates for muscle cars.
Understanding the Big Picture
The driver death rate for all 2020 and similar models has increased to 38 deaths per million registered vehicle years, compared to 36 for 2017. This increase changes from the steady decrease we saw since the 1970s when it was as low as 28 for 2011 models. The recent rise in deaths matches the higher number of U.S. traffic fatalities in the four-year study period compared to the previous one. From 2018 to 2021, there were 155,136 fatalities; from 2015 to 2018, there were 147,599.
Minicars have the highest driver death rates among different types of vehicles, with an average of 153 deaths per million registered vehicle years. In contrast, bigger luxury cars have the lowest rates, with only four deaths. Also, large pickups have the highest other-driver death rates, averaging 121 deaths, whereas small sports cars have the least, with only 11 per million registered vehicle years.
On average, the other-driver death rate for all 2020 and equivalent models is 53 deaths per million registered vehicle years. This difference comes from newer models generally having better crashworthiness than older vehicles in the overall U.S. fleet.
In the following video, the IIHS provides a range of ratings for muscle cars in the U.S.
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Photo by Meritt Thomas on Unsplash
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