Overview
- The IIHS report, published Thursday, uses 2021–2024 crash and registration data that mostly reflect 2023 model‑year vehicles to calculate model-level driver death rates and a newer 'other‑driver death rate'.
- Heavy‑duty pickups lead in other‑driver deaths with the Ram 3500 Crew Cab Long Bed at 204 deaths per million registered years, while several other large trucks and V8 muscle cars rank high on that list.
- Many small cars show the highest driver death rates with the Kia Rio topping the driver list at 170 deaths per million registered years and models like the Nissan Versa also posting very high occupant risk.
- Some muscle cars, notably the Dodge Charger and Challenger, rank high both for driver deaths and for other‑driver deaths, showing a vehicle can be dangerous to its own occupants and to others.
- IIHS reports dataset averages of 37 driver deaths and 53 other‑driver deaths per million registered years and notes that advanced active safety systems, common on luxury models, lower other‑driver fatalities while rising EV curb weights could increase size‑based risk disparities with consequences for consumers, insurers, and regulators.