For some time following the onset of the pandemic, traffic fatalities in the U.S. were on the rise – mostly due to a rise in unsafe behaviors – but that trend thankfully began to reverse in 2023. That year, U.S. traffic fatalities declined for the first time in years, and that trend continued through the first half of 2024 – to an estimated 18,720 deaths, which is around 3.2 percent fewer than the 19,330 traffic fatalities projected to have occurred in the first half of 2023. Additionally, traffic fatalities decreased in both Q1 and Q2 of 2024. Regardless, some vehicles tend to be responsible for more deaths than others, with the Ford Ranger making the cut on a recent list of precisely that.
According to a new study from iSeeCars, the Ford Ranger is one of the “most dangerous vehicles on the road,” and in fact, it landed as the second most dangerous pickup on that particular list with a fatal accident rate of 4.0 cars per billion vehicle miles driven, which is 1.7 times higher than average of 2.3, and higher than any pickup save for the Nissan Frontier, which came in at 5.0. The Ranger joins the Ford Mustang, which made this same list last year.
iSeeCars came up with these rates by looking at fatality data taken from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) of model year 2018-2022 cars with car crashes that resulted in at least one occupant fatality.
“New cars are safer than they’ve ever been,” said Karl Brauer, iSeeCars Executive Analyst. “Between advanced chassis design, driver assist technology, and an array of airbags surrounding the driver, today’s car models provide excellent occupant protection. But these safety features are being countered by distracted driving and higher rates of speed, leading to rising accident and death rates in recent years. Most midsize trucks perform worse than the segment average, while most full-size trucks perform better. This suggests that, even in the truck category, the ‘larger vehicle wins’ trend seems to hold true.”
Comments
Well, as it has been often times said, you can’t fix stupid. My guess is that poor driving habits are the main driver of this statistic. All the built in safety measures in the world will only mitigate outcomes, not solve the issue.
Ranger is a popular platform for engine and suspension modifications. One popular mod is to remove the front crash bars in order to install tires up to 37 in. in diameter. Wheel offsets of over 2in. and suspension lifts up to 6in. are also done by many owners on trucks also used as daily drivers. It would be instructive to learn what percentage of fatalities occurred in modified vs stock trucks.
The vehicle is safe. Some of the drivers and/or modifications are not.
These mid size truck are the favorite of younger drivers that aren’t financially sound enough for full size trucks in the 60k range. Also many are on the roads are quickly modded by those owners, with things like oversized tires that shouldn’t be on these trucks.
However I believe one of the most important factors is speed. Trucks and SUVs today are built with more and more horsepower, often far more than needed, and the above youthful drivers are drawn to these types of vehicles. Lack of self control, the “must get in front of those in front of them” attitudes along with excessive speeds , and more over uneven speeds on highways cause many wrecks. It’s a combination that often kills. Mostly I still see a total lack of attention to driving, with people weaving over the double yellow line, and fading off the right side of the road. Combine the above together and it’s never good.
Have clarity on the specifics of other brands…u are comparing a d40, d22 Nissan commercial lvd or the 2017 on….these are base models with no or relatively low purchase value , spec and safety. over a $60k top spec cow dun toppler…
In NZ I have viewed Motorway Patrol police programmes where on two separate occasions, Ranger utes were towing horse loaded floats. Both swerved and braked hard and the left front suspension folded under the vehicle and ripped off the chassis. The tyre did not come off the rim. I spoke with a vehicle inspector who said it is common to fail Rangers of low mileage for failing tie rod ends, especially if fatter than normal tyres have been fitted.
I have had two Rangers and I have to say the survey is right. They weren’t modified in any way but they felt unsafe to drive. Especially on a wet road.