Motorists in California may be interested to know that SUVs and pickup trucks both have vehicle fatality rates that are better than the industry average, according to a recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The results of the study showed that the overall driver fatality rate for all passenger vehicles was 30 per million registrations for models dated from 2011 to 2014.
The results of the study were obtained at a time when the number of traffic deaths are increasing. The number of people who died in 2015 as a result of the motor vehicle collisions increased by 7 percent to over 35,000.
Pickup trucks had a traffic fatality rate of 26 deaths per million vehicles registered. SUVs received a rating of 21 while minivans got a rating of 19, which was the lowest for autos categorized as light trucks. The deadliest fatality rate of 39 went to passenger cars.
There were 11 vehicles that were cataloged as not having a driver fatality. Seven of the vehicles were in the light truck categories and included the Toyota Tacoma Double Cab long bed 4WD, Audi Q7 and Jeep Cherokee.
The IIHS asserts that the study’s data is not a precise indicator of a vehicle’s overall safety. An examination of passenger deaths was not included in the study. In addition, only vehicles that had at least 100,000 registered vehicle years were included. Some well-known trucks, like the GMC Sierra 1500 and the Chevrolet Colorado, did not have enough data to be reported in the results.
A personal injury attorney may assist clients who have been injured due to the actions of negligent drivers. Financial compensation may also be pursued for slip-and-falls, pedestrian accidents, animal attacks, motorcycle crashes, bicycle accidents or dangerous products.