With a dangerous polar vortex sweeping across the United States next week, many areas are expected to see snow, including many parts of the country not typically affected by wintry weather. As such, some drivers may be concerned with how their vehicles will hold up in the snowy and icy conditions.
To see how your car fares, MNH Injury Lawyers based out of Edmonton, Canada, has released a new study finding the most dangerous cars for winter driving by breaking down key metrics such as rates of accidents during winter weather, in addition to a variety of safety factors.
In coming up with its findings, the law firm sourced data from a variety of automotive reports and winter driving performance studies, assigning each vehicle model a composite score based on these factors. Additionally, car sales data from was collected from 2022 and 2023 to identify the best-selling vehicles and calculate the fatal accident-to-car ratios for each model.
The five primary indicators used to calculate the composite score included fatal crashes per 100,000 sold cars, which was assigned a 35 percent weight; safety system with a 25 percent weight; adult and child occupant safety each at 15 percent; and vulnerable road user safety, which evaluates how well a vehicle protects pedestrians and cyclists in the event of a collision, at 15 percent weight.
With a composite score of 88, the most dangerous car for winter driving was found to be the Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The model was involved in the highest number of fatal winter crashes over a one-year period with 127 fatal crashes per 100,000 units sold.
Next was the Ford F-150, which ranked second among vehicles with the highest winter driving risks with a score of 63 and the second-highest number of fatal accidents during the winter with a total of 70 crashes per 100,000 units. The third riskiest was the Honda Accord, tallying 69 deadly accidents for every 100,000 vehicles sold. The Accord likewise marked the lowest protection level for vulnerable road users among all of the models analyzed.
“Winter driving demands an increased level of caution from drivers due to the heightened risks posed by icy roads and reduced visibility,” said MNH Injury Lawyers spokesperson Michael Hoosein in a statement. “The data showing a spike in fatal crashes during the colder months underscores how critical it is for drivers to understand the limitations of their vehicles and adapt their driving behavior accordingly.”
“Safe practices, paired with proper vehicle maintenance, can make all the difference in preventing accidents during this challenging season,” Hoosein added.
You can see the top 10 most dangerous vehicle for winter driving, according to this study, below.
- Chevrolet Silverado 1500
- Ford F-150
- Honda Accord
- Hyundai Elantra
- Ram 1500
- Toyota Camry
- Suzuki Swift
- Honda Civic
- Ford Escape
- Mazda CX-5
