Which Car Owners Are Most Accident-Prone? Driving Habits Exposed

Online Capital LendingTree’s One-Year Study
Ram Pickup Drivers Have Highest Traffic Accident Rate
Including Speeding and Regulatory Violations, Tesla
Luxury Car Mercury Has Lowest Accident Rate

Statistics have revealed relatively high traffic accident rates among drivers of Ram pickup trucks, Tesla vehicles, and Subaru cars. Additionally, BMW drivers were noted for a higher incidence of drug use or drunk driving.

A recent statistical survey by LendingTree, as cited in a report by the well-regarded U.S. economic journal Forbes, revealed a noteworthy finding: drivers of Ram vehicles had the highest incidence of traffic accidents, with a rate of 32.9 accidents per 1,000 people.

Ram is a brand specializing in pickup trucks and is part of Stellantis, one of the Big Three automakers in the U.S. It transitioned into a pickup-only brand following the merger of Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot Citroën. Ram vehicles are known for their large-displacement engines, high output, and aggressive design.

Following Ram in terms of accident rates were Tesla (31.1 cases), Subaru from Japan (30.1 cases), Volkswagen from Germany (27.9 cases), and Mazda from Japan (27.7 cases).

On the other end of the spectrum, Mercury was the brand with the lowest traffic accidents. As a luxury brand under the Ford umbrella, Mercury vehicles tend to be relatively expensive due to their abundant convenience features. Consequently, their customer base typically comprises older individuals.

The accident rate for Mercury drivers was notably lower, with only 15.8 accidents per 1000 Mercury drivers, which is less than half of the rate for Ram drivers (32.9 cases). Additionally, on average, drivers of Pontiac (16.24 cases) and Saturn (16.84 cases) vehicles experienced fewer accidents.

Based on insurance claims and repair estimates, the study was conducted over a year from November 2022 to November 2023. It surveyed drivers of all brands across all 50 states in the U.S.

When including traffic accidents, drunk driving, speeding, traffic law violations, and fines, Tesla had the highest rate with 31.1 cases per 1000 drivers. Subaru followed with 30.1 cases. Only these two brands exceeded 30.0 instances.

In addition, BMW drivers had the highest rate of drug use (or drunk driving). The drunk driving detection rate per 1000 BMW drivers was 3.13 cases. This was nearly twice as many as the next highest, Ram drivers, with 1.72 cases of drunk driving.

LendingTree acknowledged the challenge of pinpointing why certain car brands exhibit higher accident rates. However, their analysis suggests that some cars attract drivers more prone to aggressive driving behaviors.

By. Jun Hyung Kim