Have you ever wondered what car gets into the most accidents? Understanding accident trends on the road can help you avoid accidents and injury. If you or someone you know is in an accident, contact the team at Leighton Panoff Law to discuss your claim.
Some cars, for a variety of reasons, get a bad rap. For example, there is sometimes a stigma around luxury sports cars associated with entitled or reckless drivers. Yet, whether they are speeding or simply don’t know how to operate their vehicle, either situation can lead to accidents and injuries.
Sports cars are usually the first car that comes to mind when someone considers which car type gets into the most accidents. Indeed, these cars often have higher insurance rates. As a result, they’re more expensive to fix, and people are inclined to drive at higher speeds.
Click here to speak with an attorney. We’re here to offer you the support you and your family need.
Police officers are often more likely to pull one over at a moment’s notice. The slightest wrong move and the sirens come on. However, sports cars are not the highest-ranked cars that get into the most accidents. So, what car gets into the most accidents and why? Let’s take a look.
People want to know what type of accidents are the most common and which cars have the highest accident rates.
Perhaps you are a concerned parent buying a car for your child. You want to give it to them as a present for their sixteenth birthday, now that they can drive! Or, the car is a graduation present now that they’re on their way to college.
Whatever the reason, you want to buy a car for your child to keep them safe and be fun to drive. However, you know cars are dangerous, especially for any new driver.
Most parents want to avoid any car that makes their children prone to overconfidence, speeding, or other dangerous acts. Indeed, younger drivers are typically more at risk on the road.
People want a sensible car that will work well. They want to like their vehicle without dealing with increased accident rates.
You’re young and independent or part of a new couple or family, and you need to get a car that is the most financially affordable possible. You want to ensure that you’re not going to pay extra on insurance every month just because you bought a certain car!
Most importantly, you want to keep yourself, your spouse, and your children safe! Knowing what car gets into the most accidents will help you buy or rent something smart. In addition, you’ll avoid unwanted police encounters and accidents.
By looking into which types of cars get into the most accidents, you can choose a safe and affordable model.
Read on to learn the two most important factors in what makes a car accident-prone: color and brand, and other interesting and important facts about car safety!
Studies show that it is not the brightly-colored cars that commonly collide but darker cars. Black cars, especially, get into more accidents.
International studies indicate black cars are fifty percent more likely to be involved in an automobile accident than any other colored car. In a European study over twenty years that involved over eight hundred thousand car accidents, black cars were in the most accidents.
Why are black cars so dangerous? Simply because they’re harder to see!
Black cars blend in with the black asphalt of the streets and don’t offer much contrast at all. This makes them harder to spot at any time of day, but mainly during the nighttime. People can barely see you when you’re driving on a dark road and in a dark car. Sometimes, it’s only your headlights keeping you safe.
Other darker cars include:
Every buyer should think about color and how a car’s color impacts road safety.
Although you may assume that loud sports and luxury cars are the ones caught red-handed in the middle of an accident, the car’s color isn’t the reason– it’s the person driving it. When it comes down to just the car’s color, black cars typically crash at higher rates regardless of who’s driving and how responsible– or sober– they are.
So, keeping this in mind, we can confirm that the safest cars to drive are ones that are colored white, gold, or yellow. This is because they are light and bright, making them easier to spot, especially at night.
Some brands are more likely to be in accidents as well. For example, in a three-year study, the highest percentage of fatal car accidents, seventeen percent, over twenty-one thousand cars, was attributed to Ford vehicles. The study was conducted from 2017 to 2019 and used the total data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration from these years to find these numbers.
They then broke down the data into the car manufacturer and its car models. Specifically, the Ford F-150 truck was the most common model involved in an accident. F-150s were in over four thousand of these car crashes. The next highest on the list of manufacturers was Chevrolet, with over twenty thousand accidents, and Toyota, with just under thirteen thousand.
Can we assume you should avoid these brands at all costs? If you simply own a Ford car, you’re much more likely to be involved in a fatal crash?
Not necessarily.
You have to consider the demographic of people who use each type of car. For example, the Ford model F-150 is a large pickup truck. These trucks are big, heavy-duty vehicles used for all sorts of purposes. Industrial use, for example, may make them more susceptible to car crashes. Hauling large items or large amounts of things in the truck bed can increase accident rates. In addition, objects could block the driver’s view, fall off or make maneuvering the car harder.
Secondly, the statistic doesn’t consider the number of people who own each type of car. Ford is at the top of the list in how many crashes these cars have been in because more Americans have Ford cars. The F-150 is usually the highest-selling vehicle in the United States. Their sales outpace any other specific make and model vehicle in most years.
It’s hard to pin any fault on F-150s when so many people drive them.
According to a 2019 study from Insurify, affordability was a significant factor in car crashes. Six of the ten cars with the most crashes all have MSRPs of less than $25,000. This could indicate that younger people are driving them. They’re less experienced and more prone to speeding.
The study showed that over 25 percent of Subaru Crosstreks were in accidents when it comes to accident rates. So, while there were possibly more total F-150 accidents, people driving Crosstreks were more likely to be in accidents. However, keep in mind that the CrossTrek also received good crash test ratings from agencies.
In the end, it’s not about what car gets into the most accidents. It’s more about who is driving. Protect yourself on the road by always practicing defensive driving. If you’re in an accident, talk to an experienced lawyer Florida car accident lawyer as soon as possible about ways to pursue compensation.
Studies suggest that the Ford F-150 is the vehicle most frequently involved in accidents, largely due to its popularity as the top-selling vehicle in the United States. A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study from 2017–2019 found the F-150 was involved in over 4,000 fatal crashes. However, this doesn’t necessarily indicate the model is unsafe; rather, the high numbers reflect how commonly the vehicle is used, including in industrial settings and by drivers hauling large loads.
Yes, vehicle color can significantly affect accident risk. Black cars are statistically more likely to be involved in crashes, particularly at night, due to poor visibility. International studies have shown that black cars are up to 50% more likely to be in an accident than lighter-colored vehicles. In contrast, brighter colors like white, yellow, and gold are easier to see and thus associated with lower crash rates. Visibility plays a crucial role in preventing roadway collisions.
Certain car brands, like Ford, Chevrolet, and Toyota, appear more frequently in crash data—mainly because they are widely owned and driven across the country. For example, Ford led in fatal crash statistics between 2017 and 2019, followed closely by Chevrolet. However, these figures reflect ownership volume rather than brand safety. It’s essential to consider how many vehicles each brand has on the road and the types of drivers operating them.
According to a 2019 Insurify study, the Subaru Crosstrek had one of the highest accident rates, with over 25% of owners reporting an accident. Although the Crosstrek also received strong crash-test ratings, affordability and demographics may play a role. Lower-cost vehicles are often owned by younger, less-experienced drivers who may be more prone to speeding or risky behavior, which contributes to higher accident rates among these models.
While vehicle type and color can influence accident risk, driver behavior remains the most significant factor. Inexperienced or distracted drivers, such as teenagers or individuals using mobile devices while driving, pose a much higher risk. Cars don’t cause crashes—people do. Defensive driving, obeying traffic laws, and avoiding distractions are the most effective ways to prevent accidents, regardless of the make, model, or color of the car.
Yes, darker-colored cars, especially black, dark blue, or gray, are harder to see at night, increasing the risk of accidents. These colors blend with the roadway and reduce the contrast needed for other drivers to see the vehicle clearly, particularly under poor lighting or bad weather conditions. Opting for lighter, more visible colors can improve safety, especially during nighttime or inclement weather driving.
Leighton Panoff Law provides expert legal representation for car accident victims throughout Florida. Whether your crash involved a commonly cited vehicle or was caused by another driver’s negligence, their team can help you pursue compensation for medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering. With extensive experience negotiating with insurance companies and litigating in court, Leighton Panoff Law is equipped to fight for the compensation you deserve. Call 888.988.1774 to schedule your free consultation.
A nationally-recognized trial lawyer who handles catastrophic injury and death cases. He manages Leighton Law, P.A. trial lawyers, with offices in Miami and Orlando, Florida. He is President of The National Crime Victim Bar Association, author of the 2-volume textbook,Litigating Premises Security Cases, and past Chairman of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America’s Motor Vehicle, Highway & Premises Liability Section. Having won some of the largest verdicts in Florida history, Mr. Leighton is listed inThe Best Lawyers in America (14 years), “Top Lawyers” in the South Florida Legal Guide (15 years), Top 100 Florida SuperLawyer™ and Florida SuperLawyers (14 years), “Orlando Legal Elite” by Orlando Style magazine, and FloridaTrend magazine “Florida Legal Elite