According to the IIHS, driving a larger vehicle made of you a greater risk for other motorists
<!–
–>
by Brad Anderson
February 7, 2025 at 12:47 p.m.
–>
–>
- A new study reveals how differently size vehicles work in accidents and why it is important.
- The addition of 500 pounds to the average weight of a pickup only slightly reduces the driver’s mortality rate.
- Heavier vehicles represent a greater danger for lighter cars, especially during border accidents.
Many motorists believe that the greater the vehicle, the higher it will be in a frontal collision. After all, if you drive a tank, how could something go wrong? However, a recent study by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reveals that there is a point where “larger” does not necessarily mean “better”. In fact, the study shows that vehicles heavier than the fleet average offer little or no improvement in safety – and, in some cases, have a higher risk for drivers in other vehicles.
On average, new vehicles sold in the United States weigh approximately 4,000 pounds (1,814 kg). Obviously, the SUV and average collection are heavier than the average car which, during the period 2017-22, was around 3,308 pounds (1,500 kg). New data reveal that for vehicles weighing less than the average of the fleet, the risk that the occupants are killed in an accident decreases considerably for 500 lb (227 kg) of additional weight. But, adding weight to beyond this average of 4,000 pounds does not make a difference.
Read: Your thoughtful jacket could make pedestrian safety technology less efficient
For example, the addition of 500 pounds to the cars below the fleet average reduced the driver’s death rate by 17 deaths per million years of registered vehicle. In comparison, the addition of 500 pounds to the average weight of a van has only reduced the driver’s mortality rate to a million years of a million years of registered vehicle.
The IIHS has been studying the compatibility of accidents of different vehicle sizes for years. The compatibility of vehicles of different segments has improved over time, with microphones and modern SUVs now having frontal ends that line up better with those of small cars.
Between 2011-2016, the occupants of cars were 90% more likely to die in accidents with WATs weighing more than 5,000 pounds compared to accidents with other cars. Things have improved since then. Accident data of 2017-2022 show that this increased risk of death from the occupants of the car has dropped considerably at 20%. Likewise, vans were 2.5 times more likely than cars to cause deaths by car in 2011-2016, and this has since fallen less than twice more likely in 2017-2022.
“It is a positive development that cars and SUVs are now closer to weight,” said IHS president David Harkey. “These figures show that the transition to lighter microphones could also have big advantages, especially since many drivers do not use their trucks to carry heavy heavy loads.”
According to the main statistician of the IIHS, Sam Monfort, “vehicles heavier than the average are more likely to crash into lighter vehicles than them, while the reverse is true for lighter vehicles than the average. What this analysis shows is that the choice of an extra heavy vehicle does not make you safer, but that makes you a more important danger for the others. »»
So, the next time you think of upgrading to a higher SUV or a collection name in the name of security, maybe a break and ask yourself: really help yourself, or just return the Roads a little more dangerous for everyone?
