When choosing the right vehicle for their daily needs, many people assume that having a larger vehicle automatically makes them safer. While larger, heavier vehicles can provide more protection in some crashes, recent research and data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) show that the safety benefits of larger vehicles diminish once a vehicle reaches about the average passenger vehicle weight. While many people think that extremely heavy vehicles will protect them more in a crash, it actually may provide little additional protection for their occupants while increasing the danger to people in smaller vehicles.

Understanding whether bigger cars are safer than smaller vehicles can help Tampa drivers make more informed decisions about vehicle safety and which car they choose to purchase. At Abrahamson & Uiterwyk Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers, our team of car accident lawyers represents people injured in Tampa-area car accidents, including collisions involving passenger cars, SUVs, pickup trucks, and other types of vehicles. Our Tampa car accident attorneys help injury victims investigate the cause of a crash, deal with insurance companies, document their losses, and pursue compensation available under Florida law.

Are Bigger Cars Safer?

Typically, a vehicle with additional weight can help protect occupants more than those who are in smaller, lighter vehicles. However, are bigger cars safer in every situation on Florida’s roadways? The latest research and data from the IIHS indicate that there is a point where the safety advantage of larger vehicles stops.

The IIHS studied crashes involving cars, SUVs, and pickup trucks that were between one and four years old. Researchers then examined two-vehicle crashes from 2011 through 2016 and from 2017 through 2022, and the average passenger vehicle in the study weighed approximately 4,000 pounds. Some of the most useful findings of this study include:

  • Adding Weight May Increase Safety – Adding weight to a lighter car can improve occupant safety in some cases. For cars that weigh less than 4,000 pounds, adding an additional 500 pounds was associated with 17 fewer driver deaths per million registered vehicles.
  • Heavy Vehicles Don’t Benefit From Extra Weight – Extra weight to an already large and heavy vehicle provides much less benefit. For pickups that are above 4,000 pounds, another 500 pounds was associated with only one fewer driver death per million registered vehicles.
  • Very Heavy Vehicles Are More Dangerous To Others – Very heavy vehicles can pose more danger to other drivers on the roadways. Adding 500 pounds to a pickup that already weighs more than 4,000 pounds was associated with seven additional deaths among drivers of crash-partner cars.
  • SUVs Have Been Designed To Be More Compatible With Cars – SUVs have become more compatible on the road with cars. During 2011 through 2016, car occupants were found to be 90% more likely to die when involved in crashes with large vehicles that weighed more than 5,000 pounds when compared with car-on-car crashes. During 2017 through 2022, that difference fell to 20%, which means that larger SUVs are becoming less dangerous for smaller cars on the roads.
  • Pickup Trucks Still Pose A Risk To Those In Cars – Pickup trucks still present greater risks to people who are in cars. Pickups were about 2.5 times as likely as cars to result in the death of a driver in the crash-partner car during 2011 through 2016. That difference improved to a little less than twice as likely during 2017 through 2022.

The takeaway from this data is fairly simple. Moving from a very light vehicle to a moderately heavier one may provide more protection for occupants. However, moving from an already-heavy vehicle to an even heavier vehicle does not necessarily make its occupants substantially safer when traveling on public roads.

Why Vehicle Weight Can Affect a Crash

Vehicle weight matters when it comes to accidents because of the forces that are involved when two vehicles collide. When two vehicles of very different weights collide, the lighter vehicle typically experiences a greater change in speed. That can expose its occupants to greater forces and increase the potential for serious or catastrophic injuries to occur.

Larger vehicles may also have more space between occupants and the point of impact due to the vehicle being bigger and longer. This area can allow vehicle structures to absorb and manage some of the force and energy created by the crash before it reaches the passenger compartment. 

According to IIHS, automakers have changed the front structures of SUVs and pickups so they line up better with the energy-absorbing structures of passenger cars. Manufacturers have also strengthened cars and expanded the use of side airbags and other occupant-protection technology. These improvements to modern large SUVs have reduced some of the risks that SUVs and pickups historically presented to people traveling in smaller cars.

Are Bigger Cars Safer Than Smaller Cars?

When comparing two vehicles, weight should not be the only consideration. A newer sedan with strong crash-test performance and modern safety systems in place may provide better protection than an older and larger vehicle that lacks modern technology or improvements. Vehicle size alone will not tell individuals how well a particular vehicle make and model will protect them during a collision.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration vehicle ratings program evaluates vehicles using frontal, side, and rollover crash tests, and it noted that frontal crash ratings should only be compared among vehicles in the same weight class. They consider cars to be in the same weight class if they are within approximately 250 pounds of one another.

That limitation is important when considering whether bigger cars are safer than smaller cars. A five-star rating for a small car and a five-star rating for a large SUV do not necessarily mean that the two vehicles would expose their occupants to identical forces if they collided with each other.

Instead of focusing exclusively on the size of a vehicle, people should look at several factors together, including: 

  • Crash-test results
  • Structural design
  • Rollover performance
  • Crash-avoidance systems
  • Airbags
  • The vehicle’s overall weight

Modern Safety Features Can Have A Positive Effect in Crashes

Today’s vehicles can contain technology designed both to reduce injuries during crashes and to help drivers avoid accidents in the first place. Depending on the make, model, and year, safety features in a newer vehicle may include:

  • Automatic emergency braking
  • Forward collision warning
  • Blind-spot monitoring
  • Lane departure warning
  • Lane-keeping assistance
  • Electronic stability control
  • Side and curtain airbags
  • Rearview cameras
  • Pedestrian detection systems
  • Adaptive cruise control

These features and their performance vary by vehicle. Drivers who are shopping for a new car can check both NHTSA and IIHS vehicle safety ratings rather than assuming that the largest vehicle at the dealership will automatically provide them with the most protection.

When a Serious Tampa Car Accident Causes Injuries

Even a vehicle with strong crash-test ratings and advanced safety technology cannot prevent all accidents and subsequent injuries from happening. Various factors can affect the outcome of a Tampa car accident, including:

  • Speed
  • Impact direction
  • Vehicle weight
  • Seat belt use
  • Road conditions
  • The actions of other motorists

A crash involving vehicles that are different sizes can also include complicated issues when determining how injuries occurred and who may be responsible for causing the accident. Depending on the circumstances of the accident, a Tampa car accident lawyer from our team will gather evidence, which may include: 

  • Police reports
  • Vehicle damage
  • Photographs
  • Video footage
  • Electronic vehicle data
  • Witness statements
  • Medical records
  • Information about the vehicles involved

At Abrahamson & Uiterwyk Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers, our team of Tampa car accident lawyers represents people injured in accidents throughout Tampa and the surrounding areas. Our attorneys will investigate how an accident occurred, identify potentially responsible parties and insurance coverage, document accident-related losses, and pursue compensation that is available under Florida law.

Contact Abrahamson & Uiterwyk Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers

The latest research provided by the IIHS provides a clearer answer to the common question of whether bigger cars are safer. Vehicle safety ultimately depends on more than a car’s size. Modern structural design, crash compatibility, airbags, crash-avoidance technology, vehicle age, and crash-test performance all deserve consideration when looking at a new vehicle to purchase.

If you have been seriously injured in a Tampa car accident, our team at Abrahamson & Uiterwyk Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers can review the circumstances of the collision and explain your legal options. Don’t hesitate to contact our firm today for a FREE case consultation.

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