Is an SUV Safer Than a Car? Death Rates by Class (2026)

Q: Is an SUV safer than a car?

For its own driver, usually yes. In the IIHS driver death rates released July 30, 2026, midsize SUVs had 24 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years and small SUVs 38, against 79 for small cars. In the 2018-2021 class study on this page, midsize SUVs had a standardized rate of 27 versus 54 for small cars and 60 for midsize cars. The gap is a class average: the best-rated cars have lower death rates than the average SUV.

Q: Which cars have a lower death rate than the average SUV?

On our used-car list of 2017-20 models, 13 cars beat the SUV average of 28.9 driver deaths per million vehicle years, including the Lexus ES 350 (0) and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan 4WD (0). Most are midsize and large luxury sedans.

Q: Are SUVs more dangerous to other drivers?

Not clearly, for modern SUVs. IIHS found that in 2017-22 crashes, car occupants were no more likely to die when the other vehicle was an SUV than when it was another car. Pickups were different: a car occupant was a little less than twice as likely to die when struck by a pickup. In the 2018-2021 class table, very large pickups impose 121 other-driver deaths per million vehicle years, against 49 for midsize SUVs and 57 for midsize cars.

Q: Is a bigger, heavier SUV always safer?

No. IIHS research found that extra weight lowered the driver death risk for vehicles under about 4,000 pounds but added negligible self-protection above that, while raising the risk to people in the other vehicle. SUVs also sit higher and remain more exposed to rollover, although stability control, required since model year 2012, has cut that risk sharply.

Q: What is the safest SUV and the safest sedan right now?

By our crash-test score, the top current SUV is the 2027 Tesla Model Y (98.6/100) and the top current sedan is the 2026 Audi A6 (94.9/100). Both have complete IIHS records.

A midsize SUV's driver is about three times less likely to die than a small car's driver (24 versus 79 deaths per million registered vehicle years in the IIHS death rates released July 30, 2026), but the best-rated cars beat the average SUV and heavy vehicles raise the risk to everyone else. On our list of 2017-20 used models, 13 cars have a lower driver death rate than the average SUV (28.9), and 22 SUVs have a higher rate than the average midsize car (42.3).

Driver death rate by vehicle class, 2018-2021

Deaths per million registered vehicle years for 2017-2020 models, from Farmer (2024). "Standardized" adjusts each class to the same driver age and gender mix, so it isolates the vehicle from who tends to buy it. "Other driver" is the death rate of the driver in the vehicle this class hits. Sorted from safest to deadliest for the vehicle's own driver.

#	Vehicle class	Driver deaths (raw)	Driver deaths (standardized)	Other-driver deaths
1	Very large luxury cars Cars	5	4	25
2	Midsize wagons Wagons	6	5	23
3	Midsize luxury SUVs SUVs	12	11	30
4	Large luxury SUVs SUVs	20	17	35
5	Very large luxury SUVs SUVs	13	18	67

6	Large SUVs SUVs	19	20	54
7	Large luxury cars Cars	26	21	34
8	Midsize luxury cars Cars	23	23	34
9	Very large SUVs SUVs	22	24	52
10	Small sports cars Cars	34	26	11
11	Midsize SUVs SUVs	26	27	49
12	Minivans Minivans	26	27	49
13	Small wagons Wagons	27	29	31
14	Small pickups Pickups	35	30	46
15	Large pickups Pickups	37	31	61
16	Very large pickups Pickups	37	31	121
17	Small SUVs SUVs	38	42	43
18	Small luxury SUVs SUVs	38	47	32
19	Mini wagons Wagons	47	49	28
20	Small cars Cars	52	54	50
21	Midsize cars Cars	59	60	57
22	Midsize sports cars Cars	89	76	55
23	Large cars Cars	98	93	88
24	Large sports cars Cars	108	102	77
25	Mini cars Cars	121	153	55

Source: Farmer, C.M. (2024). Demographic adjustments to driver death rates by vehicle type and size. Traffic Injury Prevention, 25(2), 173-181. Table 1: Case-vehicle driver death rates by vehicle type and size class during 2018-2021; 2017-2020 model passenger vehicles equivalent in design to MY 2020. All-vehicle average: 38 driver deaths and 53 other-driver deaths per million vehicle years. Rates per million registered vehicle years; standardized rates use female drivers ages 25-64 as the reference group. The newer IIHS release of July 30, 2026 (2023-equivalent models, 2021-2024 fatalities) reports 79 for small cars, 104 for large cars, 38 for small SUVs, 24 for midsize SUVs and 37 for all vehicles; it is not yet broken out with other-driver rates, so the table above uses the peer-reviewed 2018-2021 set.

61

Cars: standardized driver deaths per million vehicle years, weighted across 10 classes (20.4M registered vehicle years). Other-driver rate: 55.

29

SUVs: standardized driver deaths per million vehicle years, weighted across 8 classes (32.1M registered vehicle years). Other-driver rate: 44.

31

Pickups: standardized driver deaths per million vehicle years, weighted across 3 classes (13.1M registered vehicle years). Other-driver rate: 76.

The cars that beat the average SUV

Model-level IIHS driver death rates for 2017-20 models on our used-car list. The 86 SUVs on the list average 28.9 driver deaths per million vehicle years. These 13 of the 51 cars come in below that.

Car	Class	Driver deaths	Other-driver deaths	Class average
Lexus ES 350 2019-20	midsize luxury cars	0	37	24.8
Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan 4WD 2017-20	large luxury cars	0	10	18.5
Audi A4 2WD 2017-20	midsize luxury cars	7	22	24.8
Chevrolet Bolt 2017-20	small cars	8	19	60.5
Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan 4WD 2017-20	midsize luxury cars	9	26	24.8
Tesla Model 3 2WD 2019-20	midsize luxury cars	15	21	24.8
Audi A4 4WD 2017-20	midsize luxury cars	17	21	24.8
Tesla Model S 4WD 2017-20	large luxury cars	17	38	18.5
Toyota Camry hybrid 2018-20	midsize cars	19	66	58.1
Toyota Prius Prime 2017-20	small cars	23	50	60.5
Ford Fusion hybrid 2019-20	midsize cars	25	54	58.1
Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan 2WD 2017-20	large luxury cars	27	22	18.5
Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan 2WD 2017-20	midsize luxury cars	28	57	24.8

Driver death rates per million registered vehicle years, IIHS, 2017-20 models (2018-2021 fatalities). Rates for individual models carry wide confidence intervals; a zero means no driver deaths were recorded in the study window, not that the car is risk-free.

The SUVs that trail the average midsize car

The 19 midsize cars on the list (sports cars excluded) average 42.3 driver deaths per million vehicle years. These 22 SUVs are worse than that average, most of them small.

SUV	Class	Driver deaths	Other-driver deaths	Class average
Chevrolet Trax 2WD 2017-20	small SUVs	89	63	42.6
Ford EcoSport 2WD 2018-20	small SUVs	84	30	42.6
Ford EcoSport 4WD 2018-20	small SUVs	67	45	42.6
Buick Encore 2WD 2017-20	small luxury SUVs	64	42	43.0
Honda HR-V 2WD 2017-20	small SUVs	63	37	42.6
Dodge Journey 2WD 2017-20	midsize SUVs	62	90	24.9
Hyundai Tucson 2WD 2019-20	small SUVs	60	23	42.6
Chevrolet Trax 4WD 2017-20	small SUVs	59	19	42.6
Toyota RAV4 4WD 2019-20	small SUVs	56	50	42.6
Jeep Cherokee 2WD 2017-20	midsize SUVs	55	59	24.9
Chevrolet Suburban 1500 2WD 2017-20	very large SUVs	54	48	28.7
Jeep Wrangler 2-door 4WD 2018-20	midsize SUVs	54	89	24.9
Mitsubishi Outlander 4WD 2017-20	small SUVs	53	73	42.6
Nissan Rogue 4WD 2019-20	small SUVs	53	40	42.6
Nissan Rogue 2WD 2019-20	small SUVs	52	71	42.6
Buick Envision 2WD 2017-20	midsize luxury SUVs	51	39	10.9
Jeep Renegade 2WD 2017-20	small SUVs	50	90	42.6
Chevrolet Equinox 2WD 2020	small SUVs	49	77	42.6
Ford Edge 2WD 2019-20	midsize SUVs	49	33	24.9
Jeep Renegade 4WD 2017-20	small SUVs	49	46	42.6
Buick Encore 4WD 2017-20	small luxury SUVs	45	6	43.0
Ford Escape 4WD 2020	small SUVs	43	54	42.6

Safest current sedans vs safest current SUVs

Top five of each body style by our crash-test score (2026-09-04), from 137 current vehicles with complete IIHS records. Full lists: safest sedans and safest SUVs.

Sedan	Award	Score	Class death rate
2026 Audi A6 Large luxury cars	TSP+	94.9	21
2026 Audi A5 Midsize luxury cars	TSP+	94.7	23
2026 Mercedes-Benz C Class Midsize luxury cars	TSP	94.7	23
2026 Honda Accord Midsize cars	TSP	94.4	60
2026 Hyundai Elantra Small cars	TSP	94.1	54

SUV	Award	Score	Class death rate
2027 Tesla Model Y Midsize luxury SUVs	TSP+	98.6	11
2026 Genesis GV80 Midsize luxury SUVs	TSP+	98.6	11
2026 Lincoln Nautilus Midsize luxury SUVs	TSP	98.6	11
2026 Audi Q5 Midsize luxury SUVs	TSP+	97.2	11
2026 Audi Q5 Sportback Midsize luxury SUVs	TSP+	97.2	11

Score: 55% primary IIHS tests, 25% selected details, 10% award, 10% class context (methodology). "Class death rate" is the standardized 2018-2021 rate for the vehicle's size class, not a result for the individual model.

Why SUVs usually protect their own occupants better

Physics gives a heavier vehicle the advantage when it collides with a lighter one: it undergoes a smaller change in velocity, and a longer front end gives more room to absorb energy before the passenger compartment is reached. The class table shows the result. Every SUV class except the two small ones has a standardized driver death rate below 30, while the four mainstream car classes range from 54 (small) to 153 (mini). Midsize SUVs come in at 27 against 60 for midsize cars, and midsize luxury SUVs at 11 against 23 for midsize luxury cars.

The table also shows why the body style is not the rating. Large cars (93) are worse than small cars, and in the July 2026 IIHS release large cars posted 104 driver deaths per million vehicle years, higher than any SUV class. IIHS attributes much of that to high-powered variants and to who drives them. Small SUVs (42) and small luxury SUVs (47) sit close to small cars, which is why so many of the SUVs in the second list above are small ones.

The safety benefit of weight has a ceiling

If some weight helps, more should help more. IIHS research does not support that. Adding weight reduced the driver's death risk for vehicles under about 4,000 pounds and offered negligible extra self-protection above it, while raising the risk to occupants of the other vehicle. The other-driver column makes the trade visible: very large pickups impose 121 other-driver deaths per million vehicle years, against 49 for midsize SUVs and 57 for midsize cars. Our danger to others page ranks individual models on that measure.

Modern SUVs are not the truck-based SUVs of the 1990s

Two things changed. Electronic stability control, required on new U.S. passenger vehicles since model year 2012, cuts the risk of a fatal single-vehicle crash by about half according to IIHS, and single-vehicle rollovers were the classic SUV failure. Compatibility improved too: IIHS reports that in 2017-22 crashes, car occupants were no more likely to die when the other vehicle was an SUV than when it was another car. Pickups remain the exception, with a car occupant a little less than twice as likely to die when the striking vehicle is a pickup. The other-driver rates for SUV classes in the table (49 to 67) are in the same range as the car classes (11 to 88), which is consistent with that finding.

SUVs still sit higher than comparable cars, so rollover exposure has not disappeared. Check NHTSA's rollover-resistance rating for the exact model.

What crash ratings can and cannot compare

IIHS and NHTSA tests answer different questions, and neither erases size. NHTSA says its frontal and overall scores should only be compared among vehicles of the same class and within 250 pounds, because the frontal test simulates hitting a vehicle of similar weight. A five-star small car and a five-star large SUV were each measured against their own peers. Our scores work the same way: the class-context component is only 10% of the total, so a top-scoring small car and a top-scoring SUV are both excellent within their class, and the death-rate columns above are the place to see what size adds.

When an SUV loses its advantage

Poor crash-test results or heavy occupant-compartment intrusion, especially in the small overlap test.
Marginal or Poor headlights, which limit what the driver can see at night.
Weak rear-seat restraints, if anyone regularly sits in back.
Missing or ineffective automatic emergency braking.
An older design generation: a 2010 large SUV lacks equipment a 2022 compact car has as standard.
A driver who treats the size as permission to speed or follow closely.

A fair way to choose

Pick the size that carries your people and cargo without overloading; do not go bigger for its own sake.
Compare IIHS results for the exact model year and trim. Start with our safest cars, safest SUVs and safest compact cars lists.
Check NHTSA rollover resistance for any SUV, and remember star ratings compare within a class only.
Verify effective automatic emergency braking and Good headlights on the trim you are buying, not the equipment list.
Use driver death rates as a cross-check on the class, and the other-driver rate as a check on what the vehicle does to everyone else.

Frequently asked questions

Is an SUV safer than a car?

For its own driver, usually yes. Midsize SUVs had 24 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years in the July 2026 IIHS release against 79 for small cars, and 27 against 54 in the standardized 2018-2021 table above. That is a class average. The best-rated cars, mostly midsize and large luxury sedans, have lower death rates than the average SUV.

Which cars have a lower death rate than the average SUV?

13 cars on our 2017-20 used-car list beat the SUV average of 28.9, led by the Lexus ES 350 (0) and Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan 4WD (0). The full list is in the second table.

Are SUVs more dangerous to other drivers?

Not clearly, for modern SUVs. IIHS found car occupants in 2017-22 crashes were no more likely to die when hit by an SUV than by another car. Pickups are the outlier: a little less than twice the risk, and 121 other-driver deaths per million vehicle years for very large pickups in the table above, against 49 for midsize SUVs.

Is a bigger, heavier SUV always safer?

No. IIHS found that extra weight helps below about 4,000 pounds and adds almost no self-protection above that while raising the risk to the other vehicle. Very large SUVs (24) are not safer for their drivers than large SUVs (20) in the table.

What is the safest SUV and the safest sedan right now?

By our score, the 2027 Tesla Model Y (98.6/100) leads current SUVs and the 2026 Audi A6 (94.9/100) leads current sedans, both with complete IIHS records.

Related rankings

Safest SUVs 2026Every current SUV ranked by crash tests Safest sedans 2026The cars that compete with SUVs on safety Danger to other driversWhich models kill the people they hit Used cars by death rate181 models with real-world driver death rates Safest cars 2026All body styles on one list Safest compact carsThe small cars that close the gap

Sources
Farmer, C.M. (2024). Demographic adjustments to driver death rates by vehicle type and size. Traffic Injury Prevention, 25(2), 173-181.
IIHS: Driver death rates remain high for small cars and models with powerful engines (July 30, 2026)
IIHS: Vehicle size and weight
IIHS: Vehicle weight and driver death risk (ref. 2323)
IIHS: Life-saving benefits of ESC continue to accrue
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings