A new study lists which cars are more likely to kill a driver in an accident, with the cheapest, smallest cars providing the least protection in a serious crash, USA Today reported on Thursday.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety looked at popular vehicles between 2008 and 2011, and found that the Nissan Versa, Hyundai Accent and Kia Rio had the highest rates of driver fatalities per million vehicles registered.
IIHS spokesman Russ Rader said cost wasn't a big factor, but the cars with the highest death rates were also the entry-level models.
"The highest death rates are in the smallest, lightest vehicles," he said, demonstrating that the greater mass makes a difference in the outcome of a crash. "It's Packaging 101: If the occupant compartment stays intact, the seatbelts and air bags can do their jobs."
All of the top 10 cars have made improvements in the newest study, Rader said. He noted that a crash test on a 1997 Dodge Neon where the passenger seating area completely collapsed in a crash test.
In 2005, 43,510 people died from traffic crashes in the United States, Grist reported, or roughly 15 for every 100,000 Americans.
Here's the list of the top 10 deadliest car models. The numbers indicate driver deaths per 1 million over the years studied (2009 to 2012), according to USA Today.
1. Kia Rio four-door, 149
2. Nissan Versa, 130
3. Hyundai Accent four-door, 120
4. Chevrolet Aveo, 99
5. Hyundai Accent two-door, 86
6. Chevrolet Camaro, 80
7. Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew, 79
8. Honda Civic, 76
9. Nissan Versa hatchback, 71
10. Ford Focus, 70
