If you said “smaller is more dangerous,” you may be on the right track.

According to AutoGuide, cars like the Hyundai Accent and the Kia Rio, both small sedan style cars, are the most unsafe cars in the US for 2018.

However, there is a safe zone in average sized cars and then the rates (which rates? Fatality rates? Crash rates?) go back up as cars get to be extra-large, like the Chevrolet Tahoe, which is the most unsafe SUV of 2016 according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for its likeliness to flip over.

With crash test results, we’ve been able to see a rise in car safety and the average consumer is paying more attention to the safety results as well.

In 1992, the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety opened the Vehicle Research Center, which releases annual safety ratings for all vehicles sold in the US.

Which Cars to avoid buying in 2018?

According to the IIHS, over the last three years, the Kia Rio is the worst car to buy. It has had the highest death rate. For SUV’s, the worst to purchase is the Kia Soul or the Chevy Tahoe.

Trucks are most known for being used for hauling tools, but they also have a notoriously low center of gravity (is this correct?  I thought trucks (along with SUVs have a HIGH center of gravity), which makes them very dangerous. Of all trucks, the classic Chevrolet Silverado is the most dangerous to drive. (why?)

The Kia Rio is considered a mini sedan. With a total of 149 driver deaths in 2015, it has a significantly higher rate than other cars of this same style, which averaged 115 deaths each year.

According to the IIHS rating (use of cite/link) of the Kia Rio, the roof and seats have significantly improved. However, they still have a long way to go inside strength, headlights, and seatbelt performance.

SUVs tend to be the safest cars

SUVs are the happy medium between large and small vehicles, which makes them best in a crash and average center of gravity. The Chevy Tahoe, however, is the most dangerous SUVs to drive in.

The Chevy Tahoe is considered an extra-large SUV. As such a large vehicle, this greatly affects its center of gravity and makes it highly likely to turnover according to the NHTSA (cite). Paired with this and the two recalls that came up for the Chevrolet Tahoe’s airbag and steering issues in 2016 make this a less than ideal car to purchase.

While the Tahoe is the most dangerous SUV, the Chevy Silverado is the most dangerous pickup truck. The seats, headlights, and seatbelts have all repeatedly been rated poorly by IIHS (cite).

What safety features should you look for in a new car?

IIHS rates vehicles of a few different areas for which vehicles will get the safety or safety plus rating — side and roof strength, head and seat belt restraints, headlights and crash prevention.

These ratings will help you choose the safest car so if you should be faced with an accident the car will help keep you protected. These ratings can all be found on the IIHS website, which can be incredibly helpful when searching for a new vehicle.

Unfortunately, accidents do occur.

That’s why our team of attorney’s at Wooten Kimbrough is so passionate about helping those affected and injured in car accidents in the Orlando area and across the state of Florida. We want to help keep our friends and neighbors safe and our roads safe to drive on.

If our team can help you or a loved one with your auto accident case, don’t hesitate to contact us at any time. Our attorneys are available all day.