Most Dangerous Vehicles on US Roads: Study & New Safety Rankings

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Dil Bar Irshad | February 14, 2025 | 09:56 PM IST | Articles/Editorials, Featured by VoM, Featured Edition | Follow on Google News

Most Dangerous Vehicles on US Roads: Study & New Safety Rankings

• The worst vehicle for the safety of the U.S. roads is Suzuki with the highest crash rate and the lowest side-impact safety rating in the study.
• Saturn and Pontiac show excellent lab results yet rank among the three most dangerous vehicles on the road.
• Poor frontal crash protection emerges as a critical weakness among several brands, with Mercury scoring the lowest rating (3/5) while still selling 1.51M units to U.S. consumers.

A revealing new study by BAM Personal Injury Lawyers analyzed vehicle safety on US roads by identifying which brands have the highest crash rates relative to their sales. The analysis focused on three key metrics: total crashes, total units sold, and crashes per 100K vehicles, the latter serving as the primary ranking factor. The final ranking highlights the least safe vehicle manufacturers based on crash frequency relative to their market presence, offering valuable insights for consumers evaluating vehicle safety.

To access the complete research, please follow this link. 

Suzuki tops the ranking with 1,267 crashes per 100K vehicles, marking it as the least safe model in the study. The brand shows particular weakness in side crash protection with a rating of 3, scoring only 65% in child safety tests – the lowest among all analyzed manufacturers.

Coming in second, Saturn records 651 crashes and has the lowest sales volume at 871K units. While its crash test scores look promising on paper, the actual accident rate tells a different story.

Following in third, Pontiac’s 640 crashes, place it close to Saturn’s concerning safety record. Though equipped with strong safety features according to crash tests, real drivers face significantly higher risks than the ratings suggest.

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Mercury ranks fourth, with 479 crashes, performing better than Pontiac in real conditions but falls short in critical safety tests. The model shows serious concerns with its frontal crash rating of 3, the lowest in the top ten. This weakness is particularly concerning given that Mercury still sold 1.51 million units to U.S. consumers.

Landing in fifth, Volvo Truck’s position with 342 crashes challenges its reputation for safety. Despite matching Dodge’s test scores, it records 37% more accidents in real-world driving.

Securing sixth place, Lincoln’s 290 crashes place it in the middle range. Its perfect frontal and side crash scores align with Volvo Truck, yet it achieves a lower accident rate.

Taking the seventh position, Dodge reports 249 crashes across its massive sales of 16.33M units, the second-highest in the list. This rate drops 14% below Lincoln’s despite identical crash test performance.

In eighth place, Mitsubishi recorded 232 crashes, slightly better than Dodge’s rate. Its lower frontal crash rating of 4 doesn’t seem to impact real-world performance significantly.

Sitting in ninth, GMC matches Mitsubishi’s crash test scores but achieves a marginally better rate at 231 crashes. With 9.72M units on the road, this small difference affects thousands of drivers.

Rounding out the top ten, Honda records 221 crashes. It is the only manufacturer among the top-ranked ones to achieve perfect crash test scores. The model also has the highest sales volume at 23.76M units and still maintains the lowest accident rate.

A spokesperson from BAM Personal Injury Lawyers commented on the study: “While crash test ratings and vehicle statistics offer valuable insights, safe driving practices remain the key factor in preventing accidents on the road. Test scores and safety features serve as guidelines but cannot account for the unique circumstances of each incident – from weather conditions and road quality to driver alertness and vehicle maintenance. The most effective approach to road safety is choosing a well-rated vehicle with consistent defensive driving habits, proper distance maintenance, and regular vehicle upkeep.”

Dil Bar Irshad

Dil Bar Irshad is a seasoned journalist, hails from Jammu Kashmir's Doda, covers political, social, business stories, index stories.