According to Statista, there are around 292 million cars on American roads, while NHTSA data tells us that there were 36,640 traffic fatalities in 2024. But which cars are most often involved in crashes on American roads?
In this study, we’ll find out which are America’s most crash-prone cars. We’ll also consider which brands crash most due to speeding, and due to impaired drivers.
Before we move on to crashes, let’s first establish which are the most popular cars on American roads.
America’s Most Popular Vehicles
Despite a wide variety of choices on the American auto market, buying habits are extremely consistent. In 2024, the Ford F-Series led U.S. sales figures with 765,649 units sold. That number represents one Ford sold for every 444 Americans, more than 200,000 units ahead of the Chevrolet Silverado (542,517). The Toyota RAV4 (475,193), Honda CR-V (402,791) and Ram Pickup (373,120) complete the top five.
There’s a clear top-ten trend: seven of the best-selling vehicles on the list are trucks or SUVs, while sedans such as the Toyota Camry (309,876) and Honda Civic (242,005) only just about make the top ten.
Additionally, Tesla’s Model Y (372,613 sales) sold more than established models like the GMC Sierra (322,946), confirming the extent to which electric vehicles have evolved from niche products to mainstream competitors.
Combined, the ten best-selling models represented over 4 million new vehicle sales in 2024 (equivalent to 1.2% of the U.S. population of over 340 million), illustrating an unusually condensed, narrow market.
That concentration provides essential context for the 36,297 fatal motor vehicle crashes involving 56,011 vehicles that occurred on American roads in 2024. That works out at about 1.5 vehicles per fatal crash. The difference between crash counts and vehicle counts emphasizes the fact that most fatal crashes involve multiple vehicles: depending on the vehicle brand, this ratio can dramatically change.
An iSeeCars analysis found that the national fatal accident rate averaged 2.8 fatalities per billion vehicle miles. Tesla ranked highest at 5.6 fatalities (despite accounting for less than 0.5% of all vehicles involved in fatal crashes during 2024), followed by Kia (5.5), Buick (4.8), Dodge (4.4), and Hyundai (3.9). At the model level, the Hyundai Venue recorded 13.9 fatalities per billion miles despite strong independent crash-test ratings.
The distinction between sales popularity and presence and road risk is central to this study. Common vehicles frequently appear in crash data because millions are on the road.
A more meaningful measure involves the extent to which a vehicle’s share of fatal crashes exceeds its popularity level. That difference separates common vehicles from those disproportionately represented in fatal crashes.
Common Brands Involved in Crashes
To a large extent, ranking vehicle brands by how often they’re involved in fatal crashes (as opposed to the number of fatalities they’re involved in per mile driven) reflects their presence on U.S. roads. Of the 56,011 vehicles involved in the 36,297 fatal crashes recorded across the country in 2024 (about 1.5 vehicles per crash), Ford accounts for the largest share: 6,788 vehicles (12.1% of the total number).
The rest of the top ten comprises Chevrolet (6,654, 11.9%), Toyota (5,166, 9.2%), Honda (4,315; 7.7%), Nissan (2,948; 5.3%), Dodge (2,200; 3.9%), GMC (1,812; 3.2%), Jeep (1,767; 3.2%), Hyundai (1,522; 2.7%) and Kia (1,447; 2.6%).
Combined, these ten brands account for well over half of all vehicles involved in fatal accidents, and that’s due to their sales dominance, not their susceptibility to crashes.
Tesla exemplifies the distinction between numerical crash involvement and crash rates. Although Tesla topped an earlier per-mile fatality study, just 206 vehicles were involved in fatal crashes in 2024, only the 27th-highest toll among all brands, 0.37% of vehicles involved. Clearly, a brand can feature a high per-mile fatality rate without contributing high crash numbers.
Yet by comparing the number and rate of brand crashes, we’ve been able to identify a small group of notable brands prominently present on both ranking lists.
Kia ranked second in the per-mile fatality study (5.5 deaths per billion miles) and tenth for raw numbers (1,447 vehicles). Hyundai respectively ranked fifth (3.9) and ninth (1,522 vehicles), while Dodge ranked fourth (4.4) and sixth (2,200 vehicles).
Ultimately, raw crash counts often don’t identify the most dangerous brands: they identify those that feature in the highest numbers on U.S. roads. The more meaningful question is whether a brand’s vehicles are involved in fatal crashes more often than its sales numbers might indicate. Overall, a combined measure of crash numbers and disproportionate crash involvement risk provides a useful brand danger guide.
Another useful means of differentiation is the number of crashes each brand was involved in that were due to speeding.
What High Rates of Fatal Speeding Crashes Reveal About a Brand
When we examine the brands most involved in fatal speeding crashes, popular brands involved in high numbers of crashes due to their road prevalence (Ford, Chevrolet and Toyota) are notable by their absence.
In 2024, across all brands, speeding was a factor in 18.66% of 56,011 fatal crashes, figures that don’t quite align with NHTSA data that tells us speeding contributed to 29% of the year’s 39,345 traffic deaths. (This misalignment is largely due to vehicle-level compared to crash-level reporting, as one crash may involve multiple vehicles and fatalities.)
Infiniti ranks as the car brand involved in the highest proportion of speeding-related fatal crashes (36.6%, 159 of 434 fatal crashes), followed by BMW (34.1%, 258 of 757), Audi (27.9%), Pontiac (25.7%), Tesla (25.2%), Acura (25.1%), Dodge (22.1%), Mercedes-Benz (21.8%), Honda (21%) and Cadillac (20.9%). Honda is notable for combining a high crash volume with an above-average rate of fatal speeding crashes.
Dodge’s high speeding fatality rate suggests that driver behavior is a huge feature of its overrepresentation in fatal crash rankings.
However, Kia (14.4%) and Hyundai (15.8%) both fall well below the national speeding average (18.66%) despite their earlier overrepresentation, suggesting speeding doesn’t explain their disproportionate crash involvement. Instead, their high fatality rates are more likely due to the fact that compact models such as the Kia Forte, Kia Soul, Hyundai Venue and Hyundai Kona are generally more vulnerable in collisions, especially those that involve larger vehicles.
Smaller sample sizes for Infiniti, Pontiac, Tesla and Cadillac (each with under 500 vehicles involved in fatal crashes) introduce more statistical variation than larger datasets for Dodge or Honda, but the overall pattern is clear. Speeding is a disproportionate factor among luxury and performance brands.
Another key crash factor is the proportion of fatalities caused by drunk driving.
Key Brands for Drunk Driving Crashes
We’ve just shown the extent to which fatal crashes involving speeding are unevenly distributed across car brands, and the pattern is similar when we consider fatal crashes involving drunk drivers. In 2024, alcohol-impaired driving caused 11,904 deaths (30% of all traffic fatalities, slightly more than the proportion involving speeding (29%)).
Of fatal crashes involving vehicles driven by someone at or above the legal 0.08 BAC limit, Infiniti ranks highest at 38.2% (166 of 434 crashes), followed by Mercedes-Benz (37.4%), Tesla (35.0%), Audi (34.0%), BMW (33.6%), Lexus (33.3%), Acura (33.2%), Cadillac (33.1%), Volkswagen (32.4%) and Dodge (32.2%). Six of these brands (Infiniti, BMW, Audi, Tesla, Acura and Dodge) also topped the speeding rankings.
This suggests that generally risky driving behavior (speeding and drunk driving) is a disproportionate issue with some luxury, premium and performance brands. This in turn indicates that the kind of driver who gravitates towards these brands is disproportionately likely to indulge risky driving behavior.
Distracted Driving
When we look at distracted driving fatal crash rates, the list of prominently involved brands tells a different story. Distracted driving contributed to 3,208 deaths in 2024 (8% of all traffic fatalities). Pontiac led on distracted driving fatalities (7.1%), followed by Ram, GMC, Jeep, Chrysler, Acura, Lincoln, and Ford. Yet in this case, the brand spread was much narrower than for speeding or alcohol impairment.
Overall, our findings confirm that fatalities due to speeding and alcohol impairment consistently involve a small number of premium and performance brands (notably Infiniti, BMW, Audi, Tesla, Acura, and Dodge) while distracted driving crash deaths tend to involve a higher proportion of domestic trucks and SUVs.
Additionally, Kia, Hyundai, Ford, Chevrolet and Toyota report crash rates around the national average across all three behaviors, indicating their overrepresentation in fatal crash data is more likely explained by vehicle type and crash susceptibility than by driver behavior.
Let’s now consider how all these elements tie together to provide an overall brand ranking.
The Brand Crash Frequency Index
If we combine our three key elements (overall proportionate crash rates, fatalities due to speeding, and fatalities due to drunk driving) into a single index score, two brands emphatically emerge as disproportionately crash-prone.
Dodge ranks first with an overall score of 223 (more than double the average baseline score of 100 for all brands), driven by a Frequency Index of 439 (3.93% of all vehicles involved in fatal crashes, despite representing just 0.89% of all new vehicle sales), a Speeding Index of 118 and a DUI Index of 110.
Infiniti follows in second place with an overall score of 179 (in this case driven primarily by behavior as opposed to volume), with a Frequency Index of 211, a Speeding Index of 196 and a DUI Index of 131 (all despite accounting for only 0.37% of new vehicle sales).
Together, the two leading brands effectively form a single crash tier of their own.
Beyond the two leading brands, the following group reaches high scores through different combinations of risk. Chrysler and BMW both score 118; Chrysler’s due to crash frequency (153) as it features relatively neutral behavioral metrics, while BMW’s score is down to a Speeding Index of 183 and a DUI Index of 115 (despite a Frequency Index of just 58). Acura (111), Honda (106) and Cadillac (104) show moderately high rates across multiple measures.
Overall, just nine of 25 measured brands score at or above 100, which means genuine overrepresentation is the exception as opposed to the rule.
Just below the 100-average baseline, Nissan (99), Mercedes-Benz and Porsche (98), Jeep (95), Lincoln (93), and Ford (92) remain close to average. Lexus (90), GMC and Volkswagen (88), Buick (85), and Mitsubishi (84) follow, with no notable factor dominating their results.
The lower end of the rankings illustrates the value of the composite index. Toyota, America’s second-largest brand by market share (12.54%), scores just 84 because its fatal crash involvement, speeding, and DUI rates are all below what its market share would indicate.
Tesla also scores 88 despite relatively high Speeding (135) and DUI (119) indexes, largely due to a Frequency Index of just 9, reflecting a comparatively minor presence on U.S. roads.
Mazda (79), Hyundai and Ram (78), Kia (77), and Subaru (69, the lowest-ranked of all 27 brands) show no high figures regarding crash frequency, speeding fatalities, or impaired driving fatalities. This suggests their high raw fatality or per-mile scores are likely due to vehicle type and crash vulnerability, not driver behavior or market share.
Overall, the Index, from Dodge’s score of 223 to Subaru’s bottom-ranking score of 69, clearly shows that crash overrepresentation varies substantially depending on the vehicle brand and can’t be explained by popularity alone. Ultimately, only two brands clear a significant ‘crash-prone’ threshold: one (Dodge) through sheer volume relative to size, the other (Infiniti) due to driver behavior.
SUV vs Minicar vs Truck: Safest and Deadliest Brands
As well as brands, it’s also worth considering vehicle categories, with a significant gap between the safest and deadliest. IIHS’s 2024 Fatality Facts report puts minicars at 139 driver deaths per million registered vehicles, the highest rate of any category tracked in the entire dataset, and more than eleven times the rate for large SUVs (just 12 per million, the lowest of any class measured).
For small cars, the rate is 60 driver deaths per million; for midsize cars it’s 54 (both well above the 36-per-million rate for all passenger vehicles combined); while for large cars the rate is 69, higher than either compact or midsize sedans.
Pickups feature a more consistent spread across all sizes: for small pickups, the driver deaths per million rate is 37; for large pickups it’s 33, and for very large pickups it’s 31.
SUVs show the widest spread across any single category, ranging from 34 driver deaths per million for small SUVs down to just 12 for large SUVs.
Crash type is also a significant differentiator. Single-vehicle rollovers account for 20% of car occupant deaths, yet for pickups the rate is 38% (for SUVs it’s 33%), meaning taller, heavier vehicles trade lower risk in multi-vehicle collisions for higher risk regarding single-vehicle accidents.
Such risk nuances tend to be missing from how brands are perceived, with factors other than granular safety considerations determining a brand’s sales figures, and overarching stereotypes often prevailing.
How Your Location Can Determine Your Risk Level
Another key differentiator is where a motorist lives. An iSeeCars analysis of NHTSA FARS crash data, covering model year 2018-2022 vehicles, identified 23 cars with fatal accident rates at least twice the national average (the list was topped by the Hyundai Venue, Chevrolet Corvette, Mitsubishi Mirage, Porsche 911 and Honda CR-V Hybrid).
Yet if we apply the same data to the 50 largest U.S. metro areas, no brand completely dominates risk assessments. The compact Kia Forte posts the highest fatal accident rate of any vehicle in seven separate metro areas (the most of any model), while the Ram 1500 pickup tops four metros and the Nissan Frontier tops three.
That’s a mix of a compact sedan and two full-size trucks that debunks the assumption that car danger means the same five sports cars and subcompacts.
iSeeCars also found that compact models overall post a 3.6 fatal accidents rate per billion miles. That’s compared to just 2 fatal accidents per billion miles for full-size models, while the five brands with the highest fatal accident rates are Tesla, Kia, Buick, Dodge and Hyundai (a list that only partially overlaps with this study’s own frequency-based findings).
Crash Data Nuances Reveal Real Road Danger
The report uncovers which car brands are involved in the highest rate of fatal crashes by examining key factors including proportionate vehicle crash rates and comparative overrepresentation in fatal speeding and drunk driving accident data.
In 2024, the Ford F-Series, Chevrolet Silverado, Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Ram Pickup led U.S. sales, with the top 10 models accounting for more than 4 million sales. Raw crash counts closely mirror market share, with Ford, Chevrolet, and Toyota accounting for nearly a third of all vehicles involved in fatal crashes.
However, by comparing a brand’s involvement in crashes to its sales figures, we found that Kia, Hyundai, and Dodge crash to a disproportionate level, while Tesla’s high per-mile fatality rate translates into just 206 vehicles involved in fatal crashes (0.37% of the total), emphasizing the difference between raw crash numbers and proportionate risk.
When we examine the brands most involved in fatal speeding crashes, popular brands involved in high numbers of crashes due to their road prevalence (Ford, Chevrolet, and Toyota) are notable by their absence
By analyzing driver behavior, we can further differentiate proportionate brand risk. Speeding was a factor in 18.7% of fatal crashes yet disproportionately involved brands such as Infiniti, BMW, Audi, Tesla, Acura and Dodge. Alcohol impairment (the main factor in 30% of all traffic deaths) disproportionately involved a small group of luxury and performance brands.
By combining market share, crash frequency, speeding and DUI rates to form a composite Crash Frequency Index, we’ve produced a clear measure of relative risk. Overall, Dodge ranks first (223) with Infiniti second (179), both well above all other brands due to a high crash involvement and drivers exhibiting risky behaviors.
When measured proportionately, most mainstream brands (including Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, Kia, Hyundai, and Subaru) score at or below the national average. Ultimately, the report makes it clear: raw crash totals are often misleading, with meaningful crash representation requiring a broader assessment.
Additionally, a small group of brands features the highest levels of crash threat, due to a combination of driver behavior, market share, and vehicle model vulnerabilities.
Being injured in a car accident due to someone else’s negligence shouldn’t mean you have to struggle alone. A Beverly Hills car accident lawyer from our firm can handle the legal process while you focus on healing. We know how stressful these situations can be, and we’re committed to guiding you every step of the way.
Since 2016, Omega Law Group Accident & Injury Attorneys has recovered millions for our California clients. Let our Beverly Hills-based team advocate for your rights today.
