Cars are safer than ever, whether thanks to their chassis, assistance systems or even the numerous airbags. However, these advances are “countered by distracted drivers and speed,” notes Karl Brauer, chief analyst at the specialist website iSeeCars, which conducted the study.
The data, which is based on program figures Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, reveal that the average mortality per billion miles traveled between 2018 and 2022 in the United States is 2.8.
Fatal accidents involving a Tesla are twice as high as average, with 5.6 deaths per billion miles driven.
The next few brands are Kia (5.5), Buick (4.8), Dodge (4.4) and Hyundai (3.9).
As for the car models most involved in fatal accidents, the Hyundai Venue tops the list, with a rate of 13.9, almost five times higher than the average.
The Chevrolet Corvette (13.6), the Mitsubishi Mirage (13.6), the Porsche 911 (13.2) as well as the Honda CR-V Hybrid (13.2) follow in the sad list. The Tesla Model Y is in sixth place, with 10.6 deaths per billion miles traveled.
“Most of these vehicles have received an excellent safety rating […] so the problem is not in their design. The models on this list reflect a combination of driving habits and road conditions that lead to more fatal crashes,” says Brauer.
“The biggest factor contributing to the safety of vehicle occupants is the ability to avoid accidents, and this ability relies on the habits of the driver,” he adds.
“A focused, alert driver who travels at a legal or safe speed, without being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, is most likely to arrive safely at their destination, regardless of the vehicle they are driving. »
— Karl Brauer, chief analyst of the specialist website iSeeCars
According to theInsurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), there have been more fatal accidents in the United States in the last five years than in the previous twelve years.
The Tesla Model Y is the sixth automobile model most involved in fatal accidents, with 10.6 deaths per billion miles traveled. (Tesla)
This analysis is corroborated by FARS figures. In 2022 and 2021, 27,334 and 28,339 people died in accidents involving cars, vans and heavy trucks. In 2011 and 2010, mortality was 22,510 and 23,371, respectively.
Before 2007 (30,527), the number of people who died in accidents always exceeded 30,000, with a sad record in 2002 (34,105).
And in Quebec?
In la belle province, fatal accidents saw a slight increase last year, with 234 people dying in 2023 while taking a seat in a car or van.
This number is 20.2% higher than the average of fatal accidents between 2018 and 2022. In 2019, the number of deaths was 188, while it was 184 in 2020, and 182 in 2021.
The Société d’assurance automobile du Québec also points out that deaths among young people aged 15 to 24 increased by 31.7% in 2023, compared to the average from 2018 to 2022.
In 1973, 2,209 people died on Quebec roads. Ten years later, the number was 1185. In 1993, 945 people died, and in 2003, 623 people died in road accidents.
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