This article looks at driver deaths in passenger vehicles between 2002 and 2005 by make and model of vehicle. The data showed that in general, big vehicles were safer than small, but not always. Station wagons, for example, have a driver death rate that is higher than that of small or midsize wagons, as do certain very large 4-wheel drive SUVs, particularly Ford Excursions. Chevrolet's Astro minivan has the lowest death rate among more than 200 vehicles, while the automaker's Blazer, a midsize SUV has the highest in the two-door, two-wheel-drive version. Overall, death rates are falling. They have gone down about 30 percent since the mid-1990s. The article includes a number of charts including: "Lowest rates of driver death," "Highest rates of driver death," Body style and size," "Influence of vehicle weight," and "Driver Deaths per million registered vehicle years."
Abstract