With the addition of automatic braking systems, airbags and crash avoidance technology, car manufacturers are making cars safer than ever before. Unfortunately, over 37,000 people in Kentucky and across the United States died in 2017 as a result of a car accident. When looking for a new vehicle, shoppers are taking note of technology advancements that can help reduce these statistics.
Data released from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System shows that some makes and models of cars have higher rates of death in motor vehicle accidents than other models. Taking this into consideration when buying a vehicle may help keep families safe. All 14 of the cars on the list are sport coupes or small cars. Those driving larger and heavier vehicles have a greater likelihood of surviving an accident. Additionally, people who drive sports cars may engage in driving at greater speeds and in riskier driving behaviors than those who drive other cars.
The Mitsubishi Mirage has the highest rates of death on the road with an accident fatality rate of 10.2 for every billion miles. The Chevrolet Corvette is second with 9.8 fatalities for every billion miles driven. The average number of fatal accidents for all vehicles driven is 2.6 per billion miles.
All drivers have the responsibility of obeying speed limits and exercising caution when driving on the road. This means taking precautions such as not drinking, using drugs or driving while tired. When a driver engages in risky behavior while driving, he or she is behaving negligently and may be responsible for medical and compensatory damages to the injured parties should a car accident occur. In this case, an individual who was driving at speeds past the speed limit in their sports car may have caused an accident. A lawyer may be able to help the injured parties receive damages.