These Are The Cars Most Likely To Kill The Driver In A Crash

As unfortunate as it is, not every car is as safe as possible, and some vehicles are significantly safer than others. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has compiled a list of the deadliest vehicles from the 2020 model year. Predictably, the list includes subcompact vehicles that, just by nature of physics, don't have the mass or material to protect the driver in the event of a serious crash. 

However, a few larger cars have appeared on the list of vehicles most likely to kill the driver in a crash. And such cars aren't large and heavy electric vehicles like the Tesla Model X or GMC Hummer, which weigh a few tons. Nor are the listed models supercars that can reach high speeds in only a few seconds and are much lighter than your average commuter sedan or SUV. According to the IIHS, some of the deadliest cars are muscle cars.

Per the IIHS's data, The Chevy Camaro, Dodge Charger and Challenger, and the Ford Mustang are some of the deadliest vehicles on the road. At first glance, that may seem like fear-mongering from people who hate fun, but it makes sense when you look at the data and the vehicles themselves. For instance, cars like the 700-plus horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat are undoubtedly a lot of fun on the track, and the whine of a supercharger combined with the growl of a huge V8 will bring a smile to most people's faces. Yet, high horsepower and inexperienced or aggressive drivers do not mix well. 

The IIHS posits that advertising doesn't help manners much, either. Just glancing at Charger, Challenger, Camaro, or Mustang advertisements could inspire drivers to pilot their vehicles in a dangerous manner. Additionally, data shows that Dodge's cars specifically are more likely to kill both the driver and the driver of the other vehicle in the event of a vehicle-on-vehicle collision.

For fairness' sake, the most dangerous vehicle for the driver is not a muscle car but the compact Mitsubishi Mirage G4, whose biggest selling point is that it's the cheapest new car you can buy today. Minicars, like the aforementioned Mitsubishi Mirage, Chevy Spark, and Hyundai Accent, top the list of vehicles with the highest driver fatalities.

Large trucks are the worst vehicles for other-driver fatalities, with the Ram 3500 Crew Cab Long Bed truck being the deadliest. Such a vehicle has a length of over 21 feet and weighs nearly 7,000 pounds, depending on the powertrain. Data does not lie, and it's not surprising, as unfortunate as it is. Large, fast, and heavy vehicles with a touch of perhaps ill-advised marketing don't always lead to safer driving practices or less deadly vehicle crashes.

Chuck Farmer, the vice president of research and statistical services for the IIHS, explained the findings: "Overall, newer vehicles are much safer than those of the past. 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."