IIHS Study Reveals the Deadliest Cars and Trucks on the Road

Small cars and muscle cars are by far some of the deadliest vehicles on the road in terms of driver death rate, according to a new study released by the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

“We typically find that smaller vehicles have high driver death rates because they don’t provide as much protection, especially in crashes with larger, heavier SUVs and pickups,” said IIHS President David Harkey. “The muscle cars on this list highlight that a vehicle’s image and how it is marketed can also contribute to crash risk.”

The IIHS based its study on US fatalities that occurred from 2018 to 2021 involving vehicles from the 2020 model year, as well as earlier models with the same designs and features. The rankings are not adjusted for factors that might influence fatality rates, such as the speeds people drive and the number of miles they travel per day.

“Overall, newer vehicles are much safer than those of the past,” said Chuck Farmer, vice president of research and statistical services, who calculated the rates. “But, unfortunately, there are still major differences in the levels of protection that various models provide. There was also a spike in speeding-related fatalities during the pandemic, which may help explain why we find so many muscle cars among the worst performers for this period.”

Highest Rates of Driver Deaths

Deaths per million registered vehicle years, 2018-2021

In a shock to no one, large pickups dominate the list of vehicles that kill the most drivers in other vehicles, although there are a few surprising models in between them:

Highest Rates of Other-Driver Deaths

Deaths per million registered vehicle years, 2018-2021