The common belief among American drivers that larger vehicles equate to greater safety may be misguided, according to a new study.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has reported that the safety benefits of heavier vehicles have limitations. The study indicates that the safety advantages diminish as a vehicle’s weight surpasses the fleet average. Moreover, it highlights an increased risk for occupants of other vehicles, especially in the event of a crash.
“Conventional wisdom among American drivers is that if bigger is safer, even bigger must be safer still,” stated IIHS President David Harkey. “These findings show that isn’t the reality today.”
Over recent years, the demand for larger vehicles in the U.S. has steadily increased, leading automakers to produce more trucks and SUVs, which are both larger and more profitable. A 2024 Environmental Protection Agency report revealed that the average weight of a 2023 vehicle in the U.S. reached a record 4,371 pounds, which is 215 pounds heavier than the average 2019 model.
IIHS researchers analyzed vehicle crashes that occurred from 2011 to 2016 and from 2017 to 2022. The study examined two-vehicle collisions involving at least one fatality, involving vehicles aged one to four years. Researchers evaluated fatality rates based on vehicle type and weight for each period.
The IIHS noted that advancements in technology found in newer SUVs and trucks have led to safer driving conditions for occupants of other vehicles. Models produced since 2009 have improved “vehicle crash compatibility,” or attributes that protect occupants during a crash, but also enhance the safety of other vehicles involved. According to the IIHS, occupants of a smaller vehicle were 90% more likely to die in a crash with a large SUV (weighing 5,000 pounds or more) between 2011 and 2016 compared to a collision with a smaller vehicle. However, between 2017 and 2022, this likelihood dropped to 20%.
While improved designs in larger vehicles have lessened the fatality risk for drivers of smaller cars, the IIHS concluded that the increasing weight of larger vehicles remains a significant threat to other drivers. Furthermore, improvements like enhanced airbag technology and other new safety features mean that greater vehicle weight provides little benefit to drivers of larger vehicles.
The study discovered that for every 500 pounds a pickup truck exceeded the average vehicle weight in the study (4,000 pounds), the crash death rate for drivers of smaller vehicles increased by seven, while the fatality rate for pickup truck occupants only declined by one.
“This analysis shows that choosing an extra-heavy vehicle doesn’t make you any safer, but it makes you a bigger danger to other people,” explained Sam Monfort, IIHS senior statistician and lead author of the study.
