2011 vehicle models with highest and lowest death rates

The Insurance Institute for Highway safety examined fatalities involving 2011 model year vehicles, looking at how many driver fatalities occurred in a particular model over the course of a year of operation, expressed as a rate per million registered vehicle years. It found there was an average of 28 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years through the 2012 calendar year, down from 48 deaths for 2008 models through 2009.

The study also found nine vehicle models with driver death rates of zero. When the institute looked at the issue eight years ago, there were no models with driver death rates of zero.

The rates include only driver deaths because the presence of passengers is unknown. Although the latest numbers reflect 2011 models, the study included data from earlier-model year vehicles as far back as 2008 if the vehicles weren’t substantially redesigned before 2011. Including older, equivalent vehicles increases the exposure and thus the accuracy of the results, the institute said. To be included, a vehicle must have had at least 100,000 registered vehicle years of exposure during 2009-12, or at least 20 deaths.

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10 lowest death rates:

- Audi A4 4WD(asterisk), luxury mid-sized car, 0 deaths

- Honda Odyssey, large minivan, 0 deaths

- Kia Sorento 2WD, midsized SUV, 0 deaths

- Lexus RX 350 4WD, luxury midsized SUV, 0 deaths

- Mercedes-Benz GL-Class 4WD, large luxury SUV, 0 deaths

- Subaru Legacy 4WD, 4-door midsized car, 0 deaths

-Toyota Highlander hybrid 4WD, midsized SUV, 0 deaths

-Toyota Sequoia 4WD, large SUV, 0 deaths

-Volvo XC90 4WD, luxury midsized SUV, 0 deaths

-Honda Pilot 4WD, midsized SUV, 2 deaths

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10 highest death rates:

-Kia Rio, 4-door mini car, 149 deaths

-Nissan Versa, small 4-door sedan, 130 deaths

-Hyundai Accent, 4-door mini car, 120 deaths

-Chevrolet Aveo, 4-door mini car, 99 deaths

-Hyundai Accent, 2-door mini car, 86 deaths

-Chevrolet Camaro coupe, large sports car, 80 deaths

-Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew, 4WD large pickup truck, 79 deaths

-Honda Civic, 2-door small car, 76 deaths

-Nissan Versa hatchback, small 4-door car, 71 deaths

-Ford Focus, small 4-door car small, 70 deaths

(asterisk)4WD=4-wheel drive

Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety