BOSTON — A new study finds heavier cars, long believed to be safer in an accident, may pose a higher risk for death in some instances.
The study, conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, looked at more than a decade of crash data involving cars, trucks, and SUVs. Analysts confirmed heavier vehicles do provide additional protection, but also discovered those protections diminish in cars that weigh more than 4,000 pounds.
“Increasing your vehicle’s weight stops being useful to you at a certain point,” said Sam Monfort, a senior statistician with IIHS.
The IIHS study found that in cars under 4,000 pounds, every additional 500 pounds reduced driver deaths. After 4,000 pounds, deaths increased slightly in the heavier vehicle, and more significantly in smaller vehicles hit by the heavier car, truck, or SUV.
The average car on the road now weighs around 4,000 pounds, but some larger vehicles can be twice that weight.
“The silver lining we’re finding in this is small vehicles continue to get safer,” Monfort said. “In fact, driving a small vehicle today, you’re safer than you ever would have been.”
Monfort credits much of the change to improved safety technology in smaller cars. While SUVs and trucks are still great for large families or hauling material, Monfort said vehicles around 4,000 pounds with modern safety features appeared to offer some of the best protection in a crash.
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