Dodge Ram named most dangerous vehicle in America

A new study performed by 24/7 Wall St. has determined the seven most dangerous cars in the US.

Although most drivers may take it for granted that their car will protect them in the event of a crash, not all vehicles are created equal. With this in mind, 24/7 Wall St., a site that provides analysis and commentary for U.S. and global equity investors, decided to examine safety statistics to determine which vehicles are the most dangerous in America.

The study looked at a number of safety criteria in order to establish which vehicles pose the greatest risk to drivers. First, researchers examined crash test ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. 24/7 Wall St. investigated IIHS crash statistics and recognized that seven current-generation vehicles had received either a “poor” or “marginal” rating in two of four categories. IIHS’ four crash categories are: frontal offset test; side-impact test; rollover rating and rear-impact protection rating.

Aside from analyzing IIHS data, 24/7 Wall St. also looked at Consumer Reports’ ratings, crash safety testing from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and JD Power’s overall Initial Quality report. Based on the criteria established by the aforementioned organizations, the same seven models received equally poor reviews across the board. In fact, five of the seven vehicles received a three or less, according to JD Power’s analysis, which details durability and reliability.

Based on their extensive research and analysis, 24/7 Wall St. found that the following seven vehicles are the most dangerous in America:

1. Dodge Ram
2. Chevrolet Colorado Super Cab
3. Mazda CX-7
4. Mazda CX-9
5. Nissan Pathfinder
6. Jeep Wrangler
7. Suzuki SX4

The list's big loser, the Dodge Ram earned the top spot due to its “marginal” side and rollover IIHS crash test scores. Additionally, the Ram earned a JD Power Initial Quality rating of 2/5. The NHTSA determined that the Ram performed poorly on frontal impact tests, but not side impact.

Despite the poor ratings, each of the seven models experienced an increase in sales last year. Specifically, all but one vehicle grew at least 19 percent in 2011. 24/7 Wall St. did note, however, that sales of all vehicles except the Jeep Wrangler are below 2007 levels. Interestingly, the Wrangler was the only vehicle on the list that did not score poorly on IIHS’ rollover testing.

Source: 24/7 Wall St.