The 23 Most Dangerous Cars On The Road

Posted: Nov 23, 2024 / 02:02 PM MST

Updated: Nov 23, 2024 / 02:02 PM MST

(iSeeCars) – Automotive safety has improved dramatically over the past two decades. But according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the last five years have seen a higher rate of accidents and fatalities on America’s roads than the previous 12 years. The fatal accident rate is now 2.8 per billion miles and the Hyundai Venue is the car with the highest fatal accident rate, while Tesla has the highest fatal accident rate of all car brands, according to the latest study by iSeeCars.

iSeeCars.com analyzed fatality data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) of model year 2018-2022 cars with car crashes that resulted in at least one occupant fatality to identify the most dangerous vehicles on U.S. roads today.

“New cars are safer than they’ve ever been,” said Karl Brauer, iSeeCars Executive Analyst. “Between advanced chassis design, driver assist technology, and an array of airbags surrounding the driver, today’s car models provide excellent occupant protection. But these safety features are being countered by distracted driving and higher rates of speed, leading to rising accident and death rates in recent years.”

The 23 Most Dangerous Cars

iSeeCars identified models with a fatal accident rate at least two times higher than the average car, with the five deadliest vehicles over four times the average. The Hyundai Venue, Chevy Corvette, and Mitsubishi Mirage are the three deadliest cars on American roads, based on fatal accidents per mile traveled. The Porsche 911, Honda CR-V Hybrid, Tesla Model Y, Mitsubishi Mirage G4, Buick Encore, Kia Forte, and Buick Envision round out the top 10 deadliest vehicles, with fatal accident rates between 2.8 and 4.9 times the average.

Small cars and performance cars rank prominently on this list, along with higher-profile SUVs that may have an increased chance of a rollover accident compared to lower-profile vehicles. Note that some large cars, including the Ford Bronco and Dodge Charger, have fatal accident rates over twice the overall average (and more than 1.5 times the small car average) which reflects very poorly on these models given their size.

Cars With the Most Frequent Occupant Fatalities – iSeeCars Study
Rank	Model	Fatal Accident Rate (Cars per Billion Vehicle Miles)	Compared to Overall Average
1	Hyundai Venue	13.9	4.9x
2	Chevrolet Corvette	13.6	4.8x
3	Mitsubishi Mirage	13.6	4.8x
4	Porsche 911	13.2	4.6x
5	Honda CR-V Hybrid	13.2	4.6x
6	Tesla Model Y	10.6	3.7x
7	Mitsubishi Mirage G4	10.1	3.6x
8	Buick Encore GX	9.8	3.4x
9	Kia Forte	8.1	2.9x
10	Buick Envision	8.0	2.8x
11	Kia Soul	7.3	2.6x
12	Toyota Corolla Hybrid	7.3	2.6x
13	Chevrolet Camaro	7.3	2.6x
14	Nissan Versa	7.2	2.5x
15	Kia K5	7.1	2.5x
16	Kia Seltos	6.8	2.4x
17	Ford Bronco	6.6	2.3x
18	Ford Bronco Sport	6.2	2.2x
19	Dodge Charger	6.1	2.1x
20	Toyota Prius	5.9	2.1x
21	Tesla Model S	5.8	2.0x
22	INFINITI Q50	5.8	2.0x
23	Toyota Venza	5.6	2.0x
Overall Average		2.8	–

“Most of these vehicles received excellent safety ratings, performing well in crash tests at the IIHS and NHTSA, so it’s not a vehicle design issue,” said Brauer. “The models on this list likely reflect a combination of driver behavior and driving conditions, leading to increased crashes and fatalities.”

Small Cars Are the Most Dangerous Cars

When broken out by size, small cars have the highest fatal accident rate while midsize and full-size cars are both below average. While modern small cars benefit from the latest engineering and safety tech, they still have a size and weight disadvantage in accidents with a larger vehicle.

Fatal Accident Rates By Vehicle Size – iSeeCars Study
Size	Fatal Accident Rate (Cars per Billion Vehicle Miles)
Small (subcompact and compact)	3.6
Overall Average	2.8
Midsize	2.5
Large (full-size)	2.0

“It’s difficult to overcome physics, even with high-strength steel and airbags,” said Brauer. “When two small cars collide the forces are equalized and both vehicles tend to hold up well. But if a compact hatchback and a full-size pickup truck try to occupy the same space at the same time, the smaller car always loses.”

The Most Dangerous SUVs

Between their larger size and higher seating position, SUVs have a natural advantage in safety. However, their higher center of gravity also means a rollover accident is more likely, and when a vehicle rolls over it substantially increases the risk of a fatality. Most of these SUVs are small, as expected, but the Ford Bronco and Mercedes-Benz G-Class are two larger SUVs with over twice the fatal accident rate of the average SUV (2.2), and well above the rate for small vehicles (3.6).

SUVs With the Most Frequent Occupant Fatalities – iSeeCars Study
Rank	Model	Fatal Accident Rate (Cars per Billion Vehicle Miles)	Compared to SUV Average
1	Hyundai Venue	13.9	6.3x
2	Honda CR-V Hybrid	13.2	5.9x
3	Tesla Model Y	10.6	4.8x
4	Buick Encore GX	9.8	4.4x
5	Buick Envision	8.0	3.6x
6	Kia Seltos	6.8	3.1x
7	Ford Bronco	6.6	3x
8	Ford Bronco Sport	6.2	2.8x
9	Toyota Venza	5.6	2.5x
10	Hyundai Kona	5.1	2.3x
11	Nissan Kicks	5.1	2.3x
12	Chevrolet Trailblazer	4.7	2.1x
13	Mercedes-Benz G-Class	4.3	2x
SUV Average		2.2	—

“The popularity of SUVs has them dominating today’s roadways,” said Brauer. “That’s fine if you’re in an SUV, but if you’re in a smaller or lower vehicle you’re likely at a disadvantage if you tangle with one. However, as this list confirms, plenty of SUVs have a higher-than-average fatal accident rate, so don’t think of them as a guaranteed fix for vehicle safety.”

The Most Dangerous Trucks

Like SUVs, trucks have a natural size, weight, and passenger height advantage when it comes to passenger safety. When ranked by fatal accident rate, it’s not surprising to see full-size trucks generally outperforming midsize models.

Trucks With the Most Frequent Occupant Fatalities – iSeeCars Study
Rank	Model	Fatal Accident Rate (Cars per Billion Vehicle Miles)	Compared to Truck Average
1	Nissan Frontier	5.0	2.2x
2	Ford Ranger	4.0	1.7x
3	Chevrolet Colorado	2.9	1.3x
4	Toyota Tacoma	2.8	1.2x
5	Jeep Gladiator	2.7	1.2x
Truck Average		2.3	—

“Most midsize trucks perform worse than the segment average, while most full-size trucks perform better,” said Brauer. “This suggests that, even in the truck category, the ‘larger vehicle wins’ trend seems to hold true.”

The Most Dangerous Car Brands

Tesla has the highest fatal accident rate of all car brands, followed by Kia, Buick, Dodge and Hyundai. As with the model rankings, it’s possible these high fatal accident rates reflect driver behavior as much or more than vehicle design.

Automakers With the Most Frequent Occupant Fatalities – iSeeCars Study
Rank	Make	Fatal Accident Rate (Cars per Billion Vehicle Miles)
1	Tesla	5.6
2	Kia	5.5
3	Buick	4.8
4	Dodge	4.4
5	Hyundai	3.9
Overall Average		2.8

“A vehicle’s size, weight, and height certainly play a part in its ability to protect passengers in a crash,” said Brauer. “But the biggest contributor to occupant safety is avoiding a crash, and the biggest factor in crash avoidance is driver behavior. A focused, alert driver, traveling at a legal or prudent speed, without being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, is the most likely to arrive safely regardless of the vehicle they’re driving.”