We have always accused SUVs of being the most dangerous cars. What kills the most on the road is how badly we drive, according to this study

With a higher center of gravity, the SUV They are more likely to roll over in the event of an accident. And that makes them more dangerous for their occupants, since they have a greater risk of dying. They are also potentially fatal for pedestrians in the event of a collision, for drivers or other smaller cars.

The car that has recorded the most fatal accidents in recent years in the US is an SUV: the Hyundai Venue. At least that’s what a recent iSeecars study concludes. But beyond the car itself, the conclusion of this analysis is that the most determining thing is how you drive.

The arsenal of security systems is of little use if we look at the mobile

The newly published study by this famous buying and selling portal is based on data from the United States Fatal Casualty Analysis Reporting System (the U.S. Fatality Analysis Reporting System), which are public. Crossing the models marketed between 2018 and 2022 with the accidents recorded between 2017 and 2022, they make a list of the 23 cars with the most deaths to their credit in those years. They also divide them into segments.

The car with the highest mortality rate is the Hyundai Venue, an urban SUV 4.04 m, with 13.9 per billion miles driven (1,610 million km). And the TOP 5 overall is closed by another SUV: the Honda CR-V with a death rate of 13.2. Close behind is the Tesla Model Y, sixth with an index of 10.6. In this list of 23 cars, we find several SUVs.

In their category, these three SUVs are therefore the ones that have recorded the most deaths in accidents in those five years. While in the report Karl Brauer, executive analyst at iSeeCars, points out that “The size, weight and height of a vehicle undoubtedly influence its ability to protect passengers in the event of an accident,” he also indicates that The most important factor in avoiding an accident is “driver behavior”.

Very safe cars, but reckless drivers. “A focused and alert driver, traveling at a legal or safe speed, without being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, is the one most likely to arrive safely, regardless of the vehicle he or she drives,” he argues.

And no matter how much modern cars, which include SUVs, are safer thanks to their arsenal of active technology, it is of little use if we are looking at our cell phone or operating the multimedia display while driving. Nor if we travel at a speed that is not safe in a certain section or if there is a lot of traffic. And let’s not say if we do it having drunk or taken drugs.

“New cars are safer than ever. But its safety features are offset by distracted driving and increased speedwhich has caused an increase in accident and death rates in recent years,” defends Brauer.

Precisely the Hyundai Venue was among the safest small SUVs of 2022according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) ranking. Their tests are equivalent to those of Euro NCAP on this side of the pond. Also el Honda CR-V y the Tesla Model Y in 2024. They all achieved the highest grades awarded by this organization.

The Model Y, which is also sold in Europe, obtained five stars in Euro NCAP tests: the maximum rating. Not the Honda CR-V, but still took four starsa good rating.

Example of what not to do with Tesla Autopilot FSD activated. (Source: Youtube)

We are therefore talking about three cars considered the safest on the market, but they still star in this ranking as the three SUVs with the most deaths recorded and two of them being in the absolute TOP 5 of this bitter list.

And there is an overwhelming fact that confirms the conclusion of this iSeecars analyst: although cars have greatly improved in safety with preventive systems, according to IIHS data, in the last five years there has been a high rate of accidents and deaths higher on U.S. roads than in the previous 12 years.

The accident data in Spain also do the same: according to the latest report from the DGTthe most recurrent factors in fatal accidents (at least one of those involved died in it) are firstly distractions (it was the cause in 30% of fatal accidents) followed by driving under the influence of alcohol (26% ) and inadequate speed (21%).