Fatal Attractions: Vehicles Involved In The Most Fatal Crashes
Car safety standards have improved a lot, yet fatal crashes remain a sobering reality. We recently analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on fatal crashes to see which vehicles were most frequently involved. The most recent data available on NHTSA was of crashes that took place in 2022.
Please keep in mind that this analysis does not imply these cars are inherently unsafe; it rather reflects their widespread presence on the roads due to high sales volumes… well except for a few exceptions. So, let us have a look at the cars that were involved in most fatal crashes in 2022.
Toyota Camry – 1,201
The Toyota Camry was involved in 1,201 fatal crashes in 2022. To put this figure in perspective, it was the sixth most popular vehicle that year, with 313,795 units sold. The Camry boasts impressive safety credentials, earning all-around five-star ratings from the NHTSA and a 2023 Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS for models built after January 2023.
The Camry comes loaded with safety features – with stability and traction control, forward-collision alert, automatic braking, pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane-tracing assist, and ten airbags as standard.
Honda Accord – 1,174
Out of all crashes involving the Honda Accord in 2022, 1,174 proved to be fatal. Again, it's a high figure due to Accord’s widespread popularity as a reliable daily driver. With impressive safety credentials, the 2023 iteration of the sedan was awarded Top Safety Pick+ award by IIHS.
Even the lowest trim comes equipped with stability control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, lane departure warning, a driver-attention system, and up to ten airbags.
Honda Civic – 1086
The Honda Civic was involved in just 1,086 fatal crashes in 2022… despite being sold 263,787 times as the 9th most popular vehicle that year. The sedan, however, has a fatal crash rate of 0.7 occupants per vehicle, which is higher than that of the Corolla, Camry, and Accord.
All Civics come standard Honda Sensing suite, that features adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, lane-keep assist, road-departure mitigation, lane-departure warning, forward-collision warning and mitigation, traffic-jam assist, driver-attention monitoring, and traffic-sign recognition.
Nissan Altima – 904
In 2022, 904 Nissan Altimas met fatal crashes. The same year, 103,776 Altimas found new homes. One of the safest sedans on the market, the Altima has a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA for the 2024 iteration and a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS for the 2022 variant.
The Altima has a fatal crash rate of 0.7 occupants per vehicle… and comes standard with eight airbags and Nissan's Safety Shield 360 that includes front-collision alert, lane-departure alert, and blind-spot monitoring.
Toyota Corolla – 879
Known for its reliability and safety, the Toyota Corolla was involved in just 879 fatal crashes in 2022… despite being one of the most prevalent nameplates on the road. Toyota crossed the 50 million sales mark in 2021… and sold 223,215 further units next year.
The sedan enjoys a full five-star safety rating from NHTSA… and comes standard with pedestrian detection, proactive driving assist, lane-departure alert, lane-keep assist, road-sign recognition, all-speed adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, and front-collision alert with braking.
GMC Sierra – 823
With 0.48 occupants killed per vehicle in a fatal crash, the GMC Sierra is a pretty safe vehicle. The pickup was involved in just 823 fatal crashes in 2022, even though it's immensely popular and was sold 248,923 times that year.
The Sierra has an overall five-star safety rating from NHTSA and comes standard with GMC Pro Safety suite across all trims, that includes features like automatic emergency braking, lane-departure alert with lane-keep assist, and front-collision alert with pedestrian detection.
Jeep Cherokee/ Grand Cherokee – 808
Jeep sold 254,445 Cherokees in 2022 (including its larger sibling), ranking as the 10th most sold nameplate of the year. Despite these impressive sales figures, the vehicle was involved in just 808 fatal crashes… with a fatal crash rate of 0.52 occupants per vehicle.
The SUV has an overall five-star safety rating from NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ for 2023 from IIHS. Standard safety features include forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, and lane-keep assist, to name a few.
Chevrolet Malibu – 585
The Chevrolet Malibu has mixed safety ratings. While the NHTSA gave it five and four stars for front and rollover tests, the IIHS rated it Poor for side impact.
The mid-size sedan comes standard with ten airbags, automatic headlights, and numerous advanced features like forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane keep assist. It also comes standard with GM's Buckle to Drive system, which prevents you from shifting the gear lever out of Park unless your seatbelt is fastened.
Chevrolet Tahoe – 569
The Chevrolet Tahoe was involved in 569 fatal crashes in 2022, with an average of 0.5 occupants killed per vehicle. The NHTSA awarded it a four-star overall rating, with perfect marks for side crash tests but only three out of five for rollover evaluations.
The full-size SUV comes standard with a following-distance indicator, front pedestrian braking, automatic emergency braking, hill-start assist, forward-collision alert, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, and Buckle to Drive. Chevy's StabiliTrak electronic stability control system with traction control is also standard.
Ford Escape – 555
The Ford Escape had 0.52 occupants killed in every fatal crash, with 555 such incidents taking place in 2022. The compact crossover SUV has a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA. The IIHS also rated it Good in all areas except the updated side test, which has a Marginal rating.
The Escape boasts a strong list of safety features, including seven airbags, EBD, stability control, and automatic high beams. The Ford Co-Pilot360 suite, however, comes standard on the Active and onward trims. It includes features like forward collision avoidance, lane-keep assist, lane departure warning, pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert.
Toyota Tacoma – 547
A total of 547 Tacomas met fatal crashes in 2022… and 0.54 occupants were killed on average in each incident. The pickup has an overall four-star safety rating from the NHTSA… and comes standard with the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 driver-assistance suite.
The suite includes all-speed adaptive cruise control, lane-departure alert with lane tracing and steering assist, front-collision alert with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, and automatic LED headlights with auto high beams. Road-sign recognition and Toyota's Proactive Driving Assist are also standard.
Ford Explorer – 539
The Ford Explorer was involved in 539 fatal crashes in 2022, with 0.61 occupants killed per vehicle. The latest iteration of the SUV received a five-star rating from the NHTSA, while the 2023 model earned a Top Safety Pick from the IIHS.
The Explorer comes standard with a number of safety features including blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, forward-collision alert, automatic emergency braking, and trailer-sway damping. Higher trims further throw in auto-dimming rearview mirrors and surround-view cameras, besides other advanced features.
Honda CR-V – 538
With 361,271 units sold, the Honda CR-V was the 5th most popular vehicle in 2022. But thanks to its incredible safety standards, just 538 CR-Vs were involved in fatal crashes that year, with 0.53 occupants killed per vehicle.
The 2023 CR-V received a five-star rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS. Honda Sensing suite is standard across the lineup, which offers collision mitigation braking, road departure mitigation, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, and traffic jam assist. The CR-V also comes with ten airbags and traction and stability control.
Chevrolet Impala – 511
The Chevrolet Impala was involved in 511 fatal crashes in 2022, with 0.68 occupants killed per vehicle. The last iteration of the sedan, which debuted in 2020, received a five-star safety rating from the NHTSA and Good ratings from the IIHS in four out of five crash tests.
The 2020 Impala came standard with ten airbags… and higher trims included features like forward collision alert, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane change alert with side blind-spot monitoring.
Ford Fusion – 493
The Ford Fusion was involved in 493 fatal crashes in 2022. The 2020 model, the last year of production, inherited the strong safety record of its predecessors, achieving a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and Good ratings in major crash tests from the IIHS.
The mid-size sedan came standard with Ford Co-Pilot360 suite, that had a number of advanced safety features including blind spot information system, lane-keeping system, auto high-beam headlamps, and pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking.
Nissan Sentra – 487
The Sentra has a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA. It's a pretty safe car… and just 487 of the units were involved in fatal crashes in 2022.
The compact sedan comes with Nissan's Safety Shield 360, featuring automatic headlights with auto high beams, automatic front and rear braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, lane tracing, lane-departure assist, forward-collision warning, and rear cross-traffic assist. The Sentra also has stability control, traction control, brake assist, electronic brake-force distribution, and ten airbags.
Dodge Ram Pickup – 1,451
The Dodge Ram Pickup met 1,451 fatal crashes in 2022… which is not much, considering that the pickup was the second most sold vehicle that year, with 569,389 sales.
The Ram has a fatal crash rate of 0.47 occupants per vehicle… and a four-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, with five stars for side crashes. Standard safety features include six airbags, forward collision mitigation, lane keep assist, adaptive steering, and blind-spot monitoring with conventional trailer coverage.
Toyota RAV4 – 485
The Toyota RAV4 met just 485 fatal crashes in 2022… which is impressive, considering that the compact SUV was the 4th most sold vehicle that year, with 407,739 sales.
The RAV4 is known for its strong safety record. It has a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS. Every vehicle in the lineup comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5, that includes pre-collision system, dynamic radar cruise control, lane departure alert, lane tracing assist, automatic high beams, and road sign assist.
Ford F-Series – 2418
The Ford F-Series – including the popular F-150 and its larger siblings – was involved in more fatal crashes than any other vehicle in 2022. But don't take the wrong idea. This concerning figure is just due to its immense popularity. With 726,003 units sold that year, the F-Series has been the most sold nameplate in the US for the last several years.
The F-Series enjoys a commendable five-star overall rating from the NHTSA… and comes with a number of standard safety features, including automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-keep assist.
Jeep Wrangler – 480
Involved in 480 fatal crashes in 2022, the Jeep Wrangler doesn't have a good safety record. The NHTSA rated it four stars for frontal crash tests and three stars for rollover tests. The IIHS also gave it marginal to poor ratings in various tests.
The Wrangler base trim is poorly equipped… but higher trims come with features like adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic high beams, trailer-sway damping, and hill-start assist. The base Wrangler comes standard with ABS, stability control, and curtain airbags for both rows though.
Hyundai Elantra – 480
Maintaining the brand's strong safety reputation, the Elantra was involved in 480 fatal crashes in 2022. The compact sedan received a five-star rating from the NHTSA, but a slightly lower four stars in the front passenger crash test. The IIHS gave it Good ratings across all categories as well.
Some notable standard features include lane-keep assist, lane-following assist, driver-attention system, safe exit warning, forward collision avoidance assist, blind-spot assist, and rear cross-traffic alert. The optional packages add advanced features like highway driving assist and cyclist and junction turning detection.
Chevrolet Equinox – 474
With a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA, the Chevrolet Equinox was involved in 474 fatal crashes in 2022. The compact SUV comes with a number of standard safety features including front-collision alert, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure alert, lane-keep assist, a following-distance indicator, and automatic high beams.
Higher trims further take safety up a notch with additional driver assists like lane-change alert, side blind-zone alert, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, and an automatic parking assistant.
Ford Bronco – 471
Involved in 471 fatal crashes in 2022, the Ford Bronco has mixed safety ratings. The NHTSA rated it four stars for frontal crashes and three stars for rollover tests… while the IIHS gave it Good scores overall for 2023.
The Bronco comes standard with six airbags, AdvanceTrac with roll stability control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and trailer sway control. However, higher trims enhance safety by a great deal with blind-spot assist, rear cross-traffic assist, lane-keep assist, evasive steering assist, and reverse sensing.
Hyundai Sonata – 419
Involved in 419 fatal crashes in 2022, the Hyundai Sonata got four stars for frontal crash tests and full marks for rollover tests from the NHTSA. The IIHS also gave it Good scores overall.
The mid-size sedan comes with a number of standard features including nine airbags, EBD, stability and traction control, forward collision avoidance, lane-keep assist, lane following assist, blind-spot assist, rear cross-traffic alert, highway driving assist, driver-attention warning, and safe exit warning. The higher trims further add parking collision avoidance, a surround-view camera, and a blind-spot monitor.
Ford Focus – 419
The Focus was discontinued in the US after the 2018 model year, as Ford shifted its focus towards SUVs, trucks, and crossovers for the American market. Available as both hatchback and sedan, the Focus held a strong safety reputation throughout its production run.
The last iteration of the car had a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and Good ratings in most tests from the IIHS. Still, 419 fatal crashes in 2022 involved a Focus. As for the safety features, every Focus came standard with seven airbags… with higher trims offering blind-spot assist, lane-keeping system, and more features.
Dodge Charger – 408
Dodge adopts a unique approach to safety by providing only the traditional safety features as standard. Every model, from entry-level to high-end, comes with ABS, stability and traction control, tire pressure monitoring, and six airbags.
All advanced features – including adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning with lane-keep assist, and blind-spot monitoring – are available only as paid options. Having said that, the Charger is a reasonably safe car. The 2022 version got a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, with four stars in frontal impacts and five stars for side and rollover crashes.
Ford Mustang/Mustang II – 407
The Ford Mustang has a perfect five-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with five stars in every sub-category including the side and rollover crashes. The coupe has eight airbags, while the convertible lacks two curtain airbags.
Standard features include ABS, stability control, automatic LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, tire-pressure monitoring, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. The Ford Co-Pilot360 suite is standard, incorporating features like lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, front-collision alert with automatic emergency braking, and road-edge detection.
Ford Ranger – 402
With 0.68 occupants killed per vehicle in a fatal crash, the Ford Ranger was involved in 402 fatal crashes in 2022. The pickup has a four-star safety rating from the NHTSA, which is not good in the segment.
All models have six airbags, stability control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, and lane-keep assist with post-collision braking. The higher trims add lane-keep driver alert, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and trailer coverage, adaptive cruise control, a surround-view camera, and enhanced active park assist.
Chevrolet Silverado – 2,271
The Chevy Silverado was involved in 2,271 fatal crashes in 2022. Like the F-Series, it's also a widely popular truck, with 529,765 units sold that year. The pickup has a fatal crash rate of 0.47 occupants per vehicle… and enjoys good safety ratings overall. All Silverado derivatives have a five-star rating for side crashes and a four-star rollover score from the NHTSA.
Standard safety features include stability control, forward collision alert, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, and six airbags.
Toyota 4Runner – 364
Even though the Toyota 4Runner met 364 fatal crashes in 2022 (which is a low figure, considering the sales), it's not the safest SUV offered by Toyota. The vehicle got four stars from the NHTSA overall, with concerns in front and rollover crash tests. The IIHS however rated it Good in most categories.
Standard safety features include traction control, EBD, brake assist, pre-collision assist, lane departure warning, blind-spot assist, and rear cross-traffic alert… in addition to eight airbags.
Toyota Tundra – 352
One of the safest trucks on the market, the Toyota Tundra has a five-star safety rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS. This is why, just 352 Tundras were involved in fatal crashes in 2022, despite their high sales number.
Standard features include stability control, tire-pressure monitoring, and eight airbags. The TSS 2.5 suite from SR level adds front-collision alert, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure alert with steering assist, lane tracing, road-sign recognition, and automatic LED headlights.
Dodge Caravan/ Grand Caravan – 330
The Caravan's safety ratings fall short for a family minivan. The NHTSA gave its last iteration – the 2020 version – an average of four stars overall, while the IIHS awarded mostly Good ratings with concerns over small overlap front crashes and standard headlights.
The nameplate was involved in 330 fatal crashes in 2022. Standard safety features included seven airbags, cruise control, trailer sway damping, second-row child seat anchors, electronic stability control, and tire pressure monitoring. Surprisingly, many important features, such as parking sensors and blind-spot monitoring, did not come standard.
Nissan Rogue – 325
The 7th most sold vehicle in 2022, more than 285,600 Nissan Rogues found new homes that year. Still, just 325 Rogues were involved in a fatal crash in 2022. Now, this alone is sufficient to establish how safe this SUV is.
The Rogue has top marks from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick from the IIHS for the 2023 iteration. Standard features include EBD, stability and traction control, and eight airbags. Nissan Safety Shield 360, which is also standard, adds forward collision warning with brake assist, pedestrian detection, blind-spot warning, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and driver attention alert as well.
Chevrolet Cruze – 300
With just 300 fatal crashes in 2022, the last iteration of the Chevrolet Cruze before discontinuation got a full five-star overall rating from the NHTSA… and Good ratings for side and moderate front overlap tests from the IIHS.
The Cruze's standard safety suite includes ten airbags and a Teen Driver technology that lets parents set speed limits. Higher trims offer advanced features like lane-change alert, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, and automatic emergency braking.
Toyota Highlander – 280
The 2024 Highlander enjoys an overall five-star rating from the NHTSA… and the 2023 model has a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS. So, it makes sense that just 280 Highlanders were involved in a fatal crash in 2022.
The Highlander comes standard with eight airbags, stability control, tire-pressure monitoring, and Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+ suite. It adds features like front-collision alert, automatic LED headlights, lane-departure alert, lane tracing, road-sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, hill-descent control (AWD), and hill-start assist.
Kia Optima/ K5 – 275
The Kia Optima/ K5 maintains Kia's strong safety record, with five stars overall from the NHTSA, with four stars in rollover and one front crash test. The 2022 K5 won a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS in 2022.
Standard safety features include nine airbags, stability control, forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, blind-spot assist, and rear cross-traffic alert. Parking sensors are available from the EX trim, and highway driving assist from the GT-Line upward.
Volkswagen Jetta – 265
With involvement in just 265 fatal crashes in 2022, the Jetta has five stars overall from the NHTSA, with four stars for frontal crash and rollover tests. The IIHS rated it mostly Good but gave Poor and Acceptable for the updated moderate overlap front and side tests.
The Jetta comes standard with IQ.Drive suite that includes front-collision alert with pedestrian/cyclist detection, automatic emergency braking, Travel Assist, blind-spot monitoring with steering assist, and rear cross-traffic alert.
Ford Expedition – 253
Being a tall and heavy vehicle, the Expedition scored poorly in its rollover crash test, but the NHTSA still gave it an overall rating of five stars. The SUV was involved in just 253 fatal crashes in 2022.
Standard safety features include pre-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, blind-spot assist, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, six airbags, stability and traction control, and trailer sway control. The Expedition also has four-wheel-drive models that add hill-start assist and hill-descent control.
Toyota Prius – 252
The redesigned Toyota Prius earned a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS in 2023. The previous generations were also quite safe… and just 252 fatal crashes in 2022 involved a Prius.
Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 is standard across the lineup. It includes features like pre-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane tracing assist, road sign assist, and dynamic cruise control. All trims also feature blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, hill start assist, EBD, and eight airbags.
Kia Forte – 252
Unlike most other Kias, the Forte has a four-star NHTSA rating with concerns about rear passenger door intrusion in side barrier tests. The IIHS also rated it Poor for side crashes and found moderate overlap front crash results lacking.
Despite this, the Forte offers many standard safety features, including six airbags, stability and traction control, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, forward automatic emergency braking, highway driving assist, and safe exit warning.
