http://www.wwmt.com/engine.pl?statio...out_state.html

 

How do they calculate the death rate? Is it # of deaths over a time span? Or # of deaths over the number of registered vehicles for the model?

I'm curious why the Firebird would score higher than Camaro and where Camaro was on the chart.

EDIT:
Took a while to load up, but it looks like deaths/registered vehicle years.

http://www.iihs.org/srpdfs/sr4003.pdf

Oddly the Camaro comes in at #8. Below the 2 door Explorer and above the Mazda B Series Pickup.

 

there inlies the fatal flaw in that statistic. Its saying which one has the highest number of deaths per million registered. Given that twins like the F bodies ranked pretty differently, I'd say that the issue isnt as much one of car safety as driver safety.

 

The high ranking has a lot more to do with the drivers than the car itself. Young drivers + fast car = trouble. The Firebird had styling that generally might appeal more to a younger crowd than the Camaro, perhaps this has more to do with the difference.

 

what year Firebirds???? 4th gens have a great crash rating.

 

One problem is that there were less Firebirds made than Camaros. But does this include only cars made in those years, or does it include old thirdgens too?

 

The one thing that gets me is the Blazer. I would have thought that the Explorer would have been more dangerous in that it has been said that the design is flawed.

 

like I said, its more of the drivers fault than the car's, more often than not.

 

Yeah, drivers' fault for buying a GM! <ducking>

Seriously though, out of the top 14, 7 of the vehicles are GM, 8 if you count the rebadged Suzuki.

-B

 

if its deaths/registered vehicle then the stats are VERY biased because of low production numbers for the fbodies. they have a good safety rating while driven normally but also look at the number of street racing (or racing deaths period) in fbodies. those stats are pretty biased IMO and im not one to normall say that.

 

This covers 1998 - 2002 F-bodies.

Yes, I can see how the number of cars sold could skew the numbers. Take the Firebird and Camaro. Camaro outsold Firebird about, what...2:1? Firebird is ranked higher than Camaro. The Mustang, a car in similar class is ranked about 40% lower than either F-body.

These numbers take into account a LOT of variables. One of which is the safety the car provides. But I'd say that is rather small in relation to driver judgement and the aforementioned number of sales.

 

I would think that becuase the Firebird/transam were higher in price that the younger kids would opt for the Camaro. As a matter of fact thats been what I have seen.

 

Not really. Average Fbody buyer from 1998-2002 could easily afford either car if they wanted to. I think the average buyer age was like 35-40 or so.

The numbers are VERY skewed. People opted away from the Camaro/Firebird because it was too agressive in many ways. Too fast, too low, to harsh in the ride etc.

So those that bought it, drove it hard. Hence one reason the Mustangs did so much better...

Take RX7's... very few left, and those that still keep them running, really love them and drive them HARD.

 

Yeah maybe firebirds are cheaper to buy used and easyer to find so younger ppl drive them more,around here that is how it is around here

 

GM said the same thing.

I watched the news report on TV last night.

To many parents are allowing their young kids with no brains in their heads get behind a wheel in a car that has alot of horse power.



Thats like giving a person who has never ridden a horse before a horse that needs a hard hand.