These 5 Car Brands Get into the Most Accidents in 2022

Ever wondered how to tell which drivers are the most accident-prone? As it turns out, drivers of these five automobile brands cause traffic accidents at the highest rates in the nation.

As plenty of Americans will tell you, their cars are more than a means of getting from point A to point B. In many ways, they’re an expression of self. Some people keep their rides spotless, while others enjoy the look of a car that’s just returned from an off-road adventure. Some drivers prefer the spaciousness of an SUV, while others favor the tight handle and punchy acceleration of a sporty sedan. Even a motorist’s choice in vehicle manufacturer can say something about their tastes: Jeep and Subaru have outdoorsy appeal, while MINI feels fun and quirky.

Ultimately, a driver’s choice of automobile brand can say a lot about not only their personality but also their driving habits. In fact, drivers who are more likely to cause a traffic accident have a unique taste in vehicles. Curious to see which car manufacturers are most preferred by drivers with an at-fault accident on their record, the research team at Insurify turned to their dataset of over 4.6 million car insurance applications to identify the five automotive brands with the most accidents in 2022.

Insights

• National averages. In 2022, an average of 9.25% of drivers across the U.S. have at least one at-fault accident on record. The average cost of a new car was $47,148 in May 2022, up 13% from just one year ago, according to Kelley Blue Book.^[1]

• Strong correlation between accident- and speed-prone brands. Data scientists at Insurify found a very strong, significant correlation (R = 0.72, p < 0.05) between an auto brand’s at-fault accident rate and its speeding rate, meaning that automobile manufacturers with the most accident-prone drivers are also more likely to have lead-footed drivers, too.^[2] This is just another reason to be extra careful when driving near anyone behind the wheel of one of the five car brands with the most accidents.

• Which brand has the safest drivers? True to common perception, Volvo drivers cause the fewest accidents of any motorists on the road. The brand is known for making sturdy, safe vehicles, and its drivers know how to handle themselves behind the wheel. Only 5.81% of Volvo drivers have an at-fault accident on record, which is 37% lower than the national average.

Methodology

To determine the car manufacturers with the most at-fault accidents, the data science team at Insurify, a car insurance quotes comparison platform, referred to its database of over 4.6 million car insurance applications.

To apply for car insurance, drivers disclose information such as the car they drive and their recent driving history, including violations on their driving record within the past seven years. Insurify’s data science team calculated the proportion of drivers with one or more at-fault accidents on record for each car brand on the market and identified the top five brands with the highest share of drivers with at-fault accidents. For each of these five car brands, they also determined the car model with the highest share of drivers reporting an at-fault accident and the car model with the lowest share of drivers reporting an at-fault accident. These car models were designated the “worst offender” and the “best-behaved,” respectively.

The findings in this article represent statistical trends found in Insurify’s analysis of over 4.6 million car insurance applications. The findings of this study are not meant to imply the direction nor necessarily the existence of a causal relationship. Rather, this is a presentation of statistical correlations of public interest.

5 Car Brands with the Most At-Fault Accidents in 2022

5. Hyundai

• Share of Hyundai drivers with an at-fault accident on record: 10.30% (11% greater than the national average)

• The worst offender: Genesis Coupe (13.89% of drivers reporting an at-fault accident)

• The best-behaved: Elantra Coupe (5.60% of drivers reporting an at-fault accident)

This list starts with a surprise, as Hyundai is a brand generally known for producing practical, affordable vehicles that don’t obviously appeal to more risk-prone drivers. Overall, 10.30% of Hyundai motorists report a prior at-fault accident. The brand’s high at-fault accident rate, however, is actually driven by drivers of its few sporty car models, including the Veloster and the Genesis Coupe. That latter model is the brand’s worst offender, with 13.89% of its owners reporting an at-fault accident on record.

4. Mazda

• Share of Mazda drivers with an at-fault accident on record: 10.41% (12% greater than the national average)

• The worst offender: CX-3 (12.62% of drivers reporting an at-fault accident)

• The best-behaved: Mazda2 (7.65% of drivers reporting an at-fault accident)

  10.41% of Mazda drivers report a prior at-fault accident on record — 12% more than the national average — placing the brand fourth on the list of car makes with the most accidents in 2022. Drivers of the sporty CX-3 are the brand’s worst offenders, but motorists who drive a Mazda2 are much safer out on the road, reporting an at-fault accident 17% less often than the national average.

3. Volkswagen

• Share of Volkswagen drivers with an at-fault accident on record: 10.46% (13% greater than the national average)

• The worst offender: Jetta (11.71% of drivers reporting an at-fault accident)

• The best-behaved: Atlas (7.81% of drivers reporting an at-fault accident)

Like Hyundai, Volkswagen is a manufacturer known for producing well-made but not necessarily flashy vehicles. The fact that it has the third-most accident-prone drivers in the country thus comes as a surprise, especially since the brand’s worst offender isn’t the sporty Golf GTI, but rather the uber-popular Jetta. Overall, 10.46% of Volkswagen drivers have an at-fault accident on record, and this share rises to 11.71% among Jetta owners. The family-oriented Atlas is Volkswagen’s best-behaved model, as only 7.81% of its drivers report an at-fault accident on record.

2. Subaru

• Share of Subaru drivers with an at-fault accident on record: 10.75% (16% greater than the national average)

• The worst offender: WRX (13.17% of drivers reporting an at-fault accident)

• The best-behaved: Ascent (8.10% of drivers reporting an at-fault accident)

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Subarus are some of the safest vehicles on the road, which is especially important since Subaru drivers cause traffic accidents at the second-highest rate in the nation.^[3] 10.75% of Subaru owners report an at-fault accident on record, which is 16% higher than the national average. The brand’s worst offender is the WRX, a rally-car-inspired model that is famous for attracting drivers with a need for speed. Owners of the more practical Subaru Ascent are the brand’s best, reporting an at-fault accident 12% less often than the average American driver.

1. RAM

• Share of RAM drivers with an at-fault accident on record: 10.82% (17% greater than the national average)

• The worst offender: RAM 3500 (14.14% of drivers reporting an at-fault accident)

• The best-behaved: ProMaster 1500 (10.29% of drivers reporting an at-fault accident)

With 10.82% of RAM drivers reporting an at-fault accident on record, this brand’s owners are the most accident-prone motorists in the nation. RAM drivers are 17% more likely to have caused an accident in the past seven years than the average American driver. Even drivers of RAM’s best-behaved model, the ProMaster 1500, are 11% more accident-prone than the average U.S. driver. Meanwhile, the brand’s worst offender, the RAM 3500, has drivers that cause accidents a whopping 53% more often than the national average.

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