Vehicle manufacturers add many safety features into cars and trucks. Despite the innovative safety options, injuries and fatalities are still common. The injuries that a person sustains may depend on the type of vehicle that he or she drives; there are some vehicles in which a driver or passenger may be more likely to suffer injuries.
Forbes explains how vehicles receive a safety score and which vehicles are the least safe.
How are vehicles evaluated for safety?
All new vehicles must pass crash tests and must meet a standard of safety standards set by the federal government. To decide which vehicles are safest and the least safe, the Highway Loss Data Institute looks at the medical payment claims incurred after an accident. They analyze which cars have the highest claims. The industry standard grade is a score of 100.
Which vehicles have the most injuries?
When a person thinks of a high-risk car, they may likely think of sports cars. The truth is that sports cars have among the lowest number personal injury claims. This is because owners use sports cars less than other vehicles, and the vehicles only carry one passenger at a time.
The cars with the most claims are four-door microcars. The smaller the vehicle, the least safe it is when in an accident with a larger, heavier vehicle. A microcar has an HLDI score of 215. This is more than double the standard. In addition to being the smallest cars on the road, younger and less experienced drivers tend to drive these vehicles due to their affordability.