How Safe a Car Is Has More to Do with the Driver Than with the Car

When you first got a car after learning to drive, the biggest factor in your choice of car was probably price.  Even if your parents helped you pay for the car, they probably would not want to get a new, luxurious car for an inexperienced driver.  After all, even the most careful drivers will probably bump into a few mailboxes when they are just getting started driving.  Besides price, safety was probably another important criterion.  The debate probably raged over what is safer in a collision, a big, tall SUV that is a match for any vehicle that collides with it or a compact car that is unlikely to flip over if another vehicle knocks it off course.  It turns out that there is no vehicle that can guarantee that it will protect you from car accidents.  All cars have to meet certain safety standards to be deemed roadworthy, but safety has more to do with the driver than with the car.  CBS Money Watch published a list of the safest and most dangerous cars, ranking them based on the number of fatal accidents per million vehicles on the road, and the cars that made the list are all across the board.

There Is No Magic Formula for an Accident-Proof Car

The safest and most dangerous cars on the CBS Money Watch list represent all shapes, sizes, and countries of origin.  Here are some highlights from the list.

• Nine cars reported zero fatal accidents: the Audi A4, Volvo XC90, Toyota Sequoia, Toyota Highlander, Subaru Legacy, Mercedes Benz GL-Class, Lexus RX 350, Kia Sorento, and Honda Odyssey. That list includes sedans, SUVs, small trucks, and a minivan.  The safest cars on the list are German, Swedish, Japanese, and Korean.
• The car with the greatest number of fatalities is the Kia Rio. According to the data on which the CBS Money watch list is based, Kia makes both the safest and the most dangerous cars on the road.
• The five most dangerous cars on the list are the Kia Rio, Nissan Versa, Hyundai Accent, Chevrolet Aveo, and Chevrolet Camaro. The first four are subcompact cars, and the Camaro is a “pony car,” which is what subcompact cars were called when the Camaro originated.  The sixth most dangerous car is the Chevrolet Silverado, a pickup truck.
• Mercedes Benz and Toyota both have multiple cars listed on the “safest” list, while Chevrolet has several cars on the “most dangerous” list.

It’s Not Just About the Cars

Cars cannot cause accidents by themselves.  The CBS Money Watch list does not mean that you should change lanes if you find a subcompact car driving near you on the road.  It also doesn’t mean that simply getting behind the wheel of a Toyota will keep you safe.

Contact Walton Telken, LLC About Car Accidents

No matter what safety precautions you take in choosing a car and driving, accidents can still happen.  If you have been injured in a car accident, you might be entitled to a settlement.  Contact Walton Telken, LLC to discuss your case.