IIHS Study: Muscle Cars and Small Vehicles Tied to Elevated Driver Fatality Rates

Muscle cars and small vehicles have been identified as having high driver death rates, according to a recent study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The study suggests that the driving behavior and perceptions associated with muscle cars is likely responsible for the elevated fatality rates.

The IIHS recently published its latest analysis, which examined driver deaths categorized by make and model. The analysis focused on two specific areas: the death rate among vehicles with over 100,000 registered vehicle years of exposure between 2018 and 2021, and models with at least 20 recorded deaths.

By concentrating on driver deaths in these periodic surveys, the IIHS aims to provide a standardized comparison, as all vehicles on the road have drivers, but not necessarily the same number of passengers. Driver death rates serve as an additional metric for understanding real-world safety performance alongside crash tests and ratings.

Previous surveys had already indicated the higher risks associated with smaller vehicles, but in the new study for the 2020 model year, the IIHS discovered that six out of the 21 vehicles with the highest driver death rates were muscle cars, including variants of Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger, and Ford Mustang.

The inclusion of muscle cars in this ranking was a result of a modification in the definition of "driver deaths" used by the IIHS. Previously, the IIHS only considered whether the driver of a car involved in a crash had been killed. However, the latest analysis also took into account the number of drivers in other vehicles who lost their lives in accidents.

When the IIHS observed that muscle cars performed poorly in terms of "other-driver deaths," it sought to understand the underlying reasons by comparing them to vehicles with similar attributes, such as horsepower and safety technologies. The study revealed several similarities between muscle cars and luxury vehicles. However, a crucial distinction exists: luxury cars are marketed for their "ease and comfort," whereas muscle cars are associated with a profile that suggests aggressive driving. The IIHS theorizes that this perception of muscle cars contributes to actual on-road fatalities.