Are Bigger Cars Safer? Here's What the Data Says

Safety is a top concern when looking for a new car, but apparently safety features aren’t the only factor to consider. Data is showing that bigger cars might have a safety advantage over smaller vehicles due to their size.
Written by Hannah DeWitt
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Hand pointing to bumper damage on a silver sedan
One of the most important things to look for when
car buying
is how safe a car is. Modern cars are pretty safe for a variety of reasons, one of them being the
automated safety features
that are included in a car. 
However, the size of a car can also play a role in how safe a car is, and here's a look at whether or not bigger cars are safer than smaller cars. 

Here's what the data says about bigger cars

According to
MotorTrend
, recent data has shown a link between the size of a car and how safe it is. This data came from a study that was done by the IIHS, or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. 
The study looked at four different types of vehicles: cars, minivans, SUVs, and pickups. The researchers also separated each type of car into size categories. For example, the study looked at compact and subcompact cars, among many other size variations.
For sedans, the study showed that the largest sedans had 36 deaths per 10 billion miles, while the smallest sedans had 78 deaths per 10 billion miles. This trend was found in other segments, too. The study found that the death rate in small SUVs was four times as high as compared to the largest SUVs.
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Are bigger cars safer? 

MORE: Tesla Removed Radar for 2 Models Leading to Pulled Safety Ratings
The vehicle segments with the least deaths were also the largest segments. Minivans came in first place, as their rate of deaths was 15 per 10 billion miles. Trucks were in second place with 18 deaths per 10 billion miles, and SUVs trailed behind pickup trucks slightly at 19 deaths per 10 billion miles. Sedans came in at last, with 36 deaths per 10 billion miles.
15 of the 20 models that have the highest death rates were considered to be small or mini cars. This isn't too surprising, as size is part of the physics equation that ultimately determines what happens during a car crash. A smaller car will tend to feel the effects of a car crash much faster than a larger car.
The data is pretty clear, then, and bigger cars are generally safer than smaller cars. That said, a small car isn't automatically an unsafe car. Four cars that are considered to be small, including the Nissan Leaf, have a death rate that's lower than 9 deaths per 10 billion miles.

What to look for when shopping for safe cars

MORE: The Mazda CX-5 Is a Very Safe Choice Among Small SUVs, Based on New Side-Impact Crash Test
When it comes to safety, size matters. But size isn't the only thing that matters, and deadly accidents can still happen in a big pickup truck. That's why it's also important to look at a car's
safety features
.
Modern safety features not only make a car safer for you and your family, but it can also make your car safer for others. One way to stay safe, however, is to buy something slow and then drive it slowly. Speed kills, so a car that has a weak engine can actually be quite safe. 

Get a good insurance policy to be even safer

Accidents will happen, so the most you can do is buy a safe car and insure it with a good car insurance policy.
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