Luxury Muscle Cars and Safety: IIHS Data Reveals Surprising Dangers

The allure of high-performance vehicles, often conjuring images of powerful Luxury Muscle Cars, is undeniable. However, recent driver death rate calculations by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) paint a starkly different picture, revealing that traditional American muscle cars rank among the deadliest vehicles on the road, challenging assumptions about performance and safety. This analysis delves into the IIHS findings, exploring why these high-horsepower machines pose significant risks, how they compare to genuinely luxurious (and often safer) vehicles, and the factors contributing to this dangerous trend.

Muscle Cars Rank High in Driver Death Rates

The latest IIHS data, covering the 2020 model year and equivalents, highlights a concerning pattern. Six variants of iconic muscle cars – the Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger, and Ford Mustang – are listed among the 21 vehicles with the highest driver death rates. This places them alongside the minicars and small cars that typically dominate such lists due to their smaller size and lower protection levels in crashes.

Conversely, the vehicles boasting the lowest driver death rates are predominantly minivans or SUVs (18 out of 23), with a significant portion (12) being luxury vehicles.

IIHS report graphic showing high driver death rates for muscle cars and minicars.

“We typically find that smaller vehicles have high driver death rates because they don’t provide as much protection, especially in crashes with larger, heavier SUVs and pickups,” stated IIHS President David Harkey. “The muscle cars on this list highlight that a vehicle’s image and how it is marketed can also contribute to crash risk.”

The Other Side of the Coin: Other-Driver Fatalities

For the first time, IIHS also calculated rates based on fatalities of drivers in other vehicles involved in crashes. This metric reveals the danger posed by certain vehicles to other road users. While large and very large pickups feature prominently among the worst offenders (seven of the top 20), indicating the risks associated with vehicle size and weight, some muscle cars also perform poorly here.

Notably, the Dodge Challenger two-wheel-drive, Dodge Charger two-wheel-drive, and Dodge Charger HEMI two-wheel-drive appear on both the high driver death rate list and the high other-driver death rate list. This overlap strongly suggests that the way these vehicles are driven, likely more aggressively, contributes significantly to their deadly record for everyone on the road.

In contrast, vehicles with the lowest other-driver death rates include a mix of cars and SUVs, with ten being luxury models. Nine models actually appeared on both lowest death rate lists (driver and other-driver), including luxury SUVs like the Acura MDX 4WD, Audi Q5 4WD, and Lexus RX 350 4WD.

“The models that rank among the best and worst performers on both lists point to the unfortunate fact that vehicle cost remains a factor in road safety,” Harkey added, noting that advanced safety features are more often standard on luxury vehicles.

Understanding the Data: Methodology and Context

IIHS has calculated driver death rates approximately every three years since 1989. These rates focus solely on driver deaths, providing a standardized comparison point since every vehicle has a driver. The data relies on the federal Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) for fatality counts and IHS Markit for vehicle registration data.

The latest rates cover fatalities from 2018 to 2021 involving 2020 model year vehicles, including earlier models (back to 2017) if they remained substantially unchanged. This method ensures a larger, more reliable sample size. A vehicle needed at least 100,000 registered vehicle years of exposure or 20 deaths to be included.

It’s crucial to distinguish these rates from IIHS safety ratings. Crash test ratings evaluate how a vehicle protects its occupants when crashing into a fixed barrier, making them useful for comparing vehicles within the same size class. Driver death rates, however, reflect real-world crash outcomes and can be compared across different vehicle types and sizes. While rates are adjusted for driver age and gender, they don’t account for variables like driving speed or miles traveled, which can also influence risk.

Why the Disparity? Exploring the Power vs. Safety Paradox

A key question arises: why do muscle cars perform so poorly in safety metrics when some luxury vehicles with comparable horsepower achieve excellent safety records? For instance, the entry-level Camaro, Challenger, Charger, and Mustang offer horsepower figures (275-305 hp) not drastically different from luxury models like the Audi A4 or Mercedes-Benz E-Class (241-252 hp), relative to their weights. Yet, the muscle cars are among the worst performers, while the luxury cars are among the best.

Part of the explanation lies in safety features and crashworthiness. Advanced crash avoidance systems are often standard on luxury models but merely optional on many muscle cars. The Dodge Challenger, for example, only earns a marginal rating in the IIHS driver-side small overlap front test.

However, a significant factor appears to be the vehicle’s image and marketing. Luxury cars typically emphasize comfort, refinement, and ease. Muscle cars, conversely, often leverage their heritage tied to drag racing and raw power. Marketing materials frequently highlight aggressive capabilities: the Dodge Charger HEMI focuses on “ground-shaking” power and “racing-inspired” brakes; the Chevrolet Camaro promises the ability to “dominate on the daily”; the Ford Mustang targets “adrenaline chasers” aiming to “keep ahead of the pack.”

“These two lists illustrate some of the intangibles of crash risk,” Harkey explained. “We can measure horsepower and weight and test for crashworthiness. However, the deadly record of these muscle cars suggests that their history and marketing may be encouraging more aggressive driving.” The concept of a safe luxury muscle car seems at odds with the real-world outcomes tied to the traditional “muscle” image.

Broader Trends in Vehicle Safety

The latest IIHS data reflects broader trends. The average driver death rate for 2020 models rose to 38 deaths per million registered vehicle years, up from 36 for 2017 models and a low of 28 for 2011 models. This increase aligns with the higher number of overall U.S. traffic fatalities between 2018-2021 compared to the previous study period (2015-2018).

By vehicle type, minicars had the highest average driver death rate (153), while very large luxury cars had the lowest (4). For other-driver deaths, very large pickups averaged the highest rate (121), while small sports cars averaged the lowest (11). The overall average other-driver death rate was 53, higher than the driver death rate, reflecting the improved crashworthiness of newer models compared to the older vehicles they often collide with.

“Overall, newer vehicles are much safer than those of the past,” said Chuck Farmer, IIHS vice president of research and statistical services. “But, unfortunately, there are still major differences in the levels of protection that various models provide. There was also a spike in speeding-related fatalities during the pandemic, which may help explain why we find so many muscle cars among the worst performers for this period.”

Top and Bottom Performers: Specific Model Data

The range in safety outcomes is vast. Four models achieved a driver death rate of zero, while the worst performer, the 2020 Mitsubishi Mirage G4 minicar, had a rate of 205 deaths per million registered vehicle years. Other-driver death rates ranged from just 6 for the Buick Encore 4WD small luxury SUV to a high of 189 for the Ram 3500 Crew Cab long bed pickup.

Highest rates of driver deaths
Deaths per million registered vehicle years, 2020 and equivalent earlier models, 2018-21

Lowest rates of driver deaths
Deaths per million registered vehicle years, 2020 and equivalent earlier models, 2018-21

Highest rates of other-driver deaths
Deaths per million registered vehicle years, 2020 and equivalent earlier models, 2018-21

Lowest rates of other-driver deaths
Deaths per million registered vehicle years, 2020 and equivalent earlier models, 2018-21

Conclusion

The latest IIHS driver death rate statistics deliver a sobering message: traditional American muscle cars, despite their powerful appeal, carry substantial safety risks, not only for their drivers but sometimes for others on the road as well. While horsepower is a factor, it doesn’t tell the whole story. The data suggests that the marketing and image associated with these vehicles encourage driving behaviors that contribute significantly to their poor safety records, distinguishing them from luxury vehicles that may offer similar power but cultivate a different driving ethos and often come standard with better safety features. Ultimately, understanding vehicle safety requires looking beyond engine specs to consider the complex interplay of design, technology, marketing, and driver behavior.