How Accident Prone Is Your Car?
Most New Jersey motorists are fairly conscientious when it comes to driving habits. We know that a ‘safety first’ attitude is good for our health and our finances. We refrain from highway maneuvers that require a NASCAR skill set to pull off. We keep our sunglasses handy even in winter, when that low sun can cause blinding glare. And we let our emails and text messages wait until we reach our destination. But what, if anything, does the car we drive say about the likelihood of an accident? Since our personal injury attorneys are concerned with your safety, Razi & Giampa took a look at the types of automobiles that are most likely to be involved in a crash.
Which makes and models appear most often in auto accidents
Crash frequency data from insurance claims and vehicle databases shows that certain vehicles appear more often in accident reports than others. According to 2024 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the vehicles with the highest accident participation rates (based on reported at-fault crash involvement) included:
- Kia Soul EV
- Mazda Mazdaspeed 3
- Chevrolet Bolt EUV
- Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
- Volkswagen ID.4
Looking back one year to 2023, the following vehicles had the highest percentage of drivers reporting at least one at-fault accident:
- Audi S4 — 11.7 percent of drivers
- Scion iA — 11.5 percent of drivers
- Hyundai Genesis Coupe — 11.3 percent of drivers
- Subaru WRX — 10.7 percent of drivers
- Toyota GR86 — 10.8 percent of drivers
It’s worth noting that many of the cars listed are considered “performance” or “sporty” vehicles, which we’ll discuss below.
Whose fault: the car or the driver?
There are many factors that contribute to the frequency of accident involvement for car brands, such as vehicle popularity. To understand why a particular make and model is more likely to be accident-involved, it’s important to separate the characteristics of the auto from those of the driver.
Car factors include specific vehicle features that can influence crash likelihood and severity:
- Engine performance — High performing vehicles are a double-edged sword. In the hands of a skilled driver, they are highly maneuverable, enabling drivers to avoid road hazards that appear suddenly. But, lesser skilled drivers might mishandle or overcorrect, increasing the danger of a crash.
- Safety systems — Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, such as automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping assist, are statistically linked with lower crash likelihood and severity in real-world data, though their real-world benefits vary by implementation.
However, crash research consistently shows that driver behavior is the leading cause of collisions, even for vehicles with strong safety features. Collision avoidance technology helps, but cannot overcome poor decisions or dangerous driving patterns.
In fact, some analyses of fatal crash rates suggest that brand-level involvement often reflects who drives those vehicles. For example, drivers of sporty, high-performance vehicles are more likely to drive aggressively, tailgate, execute sudden maneuvers, and speed. In addition to their risk-taking attitude, these drivers might not have the requisite skill to handle a high performance vehicle, especially when they first purchase it.
Which makes and models provide the greatest protection?
The flip-side of high accident involvement is survivability. We all like to think that if we ever get into an auto accident, we’ll be able to walk away from it. Here, we rely on agencies like the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and NHTSA, which maintain crash test and safety rating programs.
The 2025 IIHS Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ lists identify vehicles that perform very well in crash tests, including front, side, and risk mitigation tests designed to reduce injury. Models that typically perform well include:
- Honda CR-V (and some Honda sedans)
- Mazda CX-30 and other Mazda SUVs
- GMC Acadia
Each year’s list changes as standards evolve and new crash avoidance technologies are tested, but vehicles earning these designations are generally among the safest choices for occupant crash protection.
NHTSA issues 5-Star Ratings after evaluating vehicles for frontal, side, and rollover crash performance. Vehicles with five stars across categories generally offer greater occupant protection in standardized crash scenarios. The NHTSA website allows consumers to search for ratings according to year, make, and model.
What this means for motorists in and around Paramus, NJ
Unfortunately, there is no publicly available data broken down according to model and make for Paramus or Bergen County. But local crash trends in northern New Jersey reflect state and national patterns. New Jersey consistently sees tens of thousands of traffic collisions per year statewide. Traffic crash datasets managed by NJDOT show there are tens of thousands of crashes per roadway category annually. Moreover, highly trafficked suburban areas like Paramus, located at major Route 17, Garden State Parkway, and I-80 corridors, tend to have elevated crash exposure due to:
- Heavy commuter traffic
- Frequent commercial vehicle activity
- Complex intersections and shopping district traffic
Crashes in Paramus and surrounding Bergen County follow statewide patterns where rear-end and angle crashes dominate, and passenger vehicles are the vast majority of vehicles involved.
The key take-away from this discussion is that no matter what car you operate, driver behavior remains the predominant factor for auto accidents. Drivers of high-performance vehicles should take the time to get to know their cars, steadily increasing their skills to match the machine, before pushing the boundaries on public roads. And no matter what type of car you drive, always put safety first.
Contact Razi & Giampa Law in Paramus for a free auto accident consultation
Razi & Giampa Law, LLC in Paramus provides highly professional and compassionate legal representation for victims of auto accidents in Bergen County and throughout New Jersey. To schedule a free consultation, call us today at (201) 534-5011 or contact our firm online.
