Media post: What Accident Data Says About Cars And Claims That Follow

Wondering what data is more reliable, car sales data or data showing how those cars are actually used in real life?

To fill in that gap, people have started analyzing accident data, which has helped them paint a clearer picture. This is not only about drivers’ behavior but also about cars’ performances and all the major flaws that (usually) go undetected.

Accident data covers all kinds of factors (e.g., driving habits, traffic density, environment, speed, turn speed, reactions, vehicle limitations, vehicle performance, etc., etc.), all of which can be used to tell us more about the actual cars we’re driving, as well as more data on the accident and the aftermath that comes in the package.

Crash Data Shows Us How (and Where) Cars Are Driven

9/10 car accidents have one core cause, which can be traced to the environment (where the accident happened) and user patterns (how the driver drives the car).

Let’s first talk about ‘environment’.

High-density urban cities/settings have A LOT more car accidents compared to smaller cities/towns.

As a matter of fact, people in smaller cities are regular buyers, and they follow certain car trends; however, there is no need for their regular usage. This results in fewer car crashes and fewer issues when considering safety.

Whereas, in big cities that are starting to get overcrowded, minor accidents happen every day.

There should be a few factors and variables considered, like vehicle size. With today’s modern SUVs, new questions have arisen regarding narrow streets and cities designed for smaller cars and fewer people.

In bustling cities like Chicago, problems like this have started to worry a great deal of people, with rear-end collisions and side-swipes, whether it’s in the parking lot or during rush hour.

Even though risk in cities is very different from highway driving, where car accidents may be fatal and cause far more damage due to high speeds, frequent accidents have their consequences.

So, even the top 5 best-selling vehicles can show up in city crashes, as they are constantly exposed to start-and-go environments and reliant on other drivers.

Following the Chicago example, even though in cities there are usually minor damages to the cars, more serious problems arise when some of the participants in a traffic accident get injured. And this isn’t only due to injuries that might happen, it’s also about all the legality that comes with that. 

Lots of Chicagoans heavily rely on law firms that specialize in car accidents, such as Chicago Auto Injury Lawyers, specifically because of this. And if you think that’s overkill, just think about the fact that in 2025, 112,000 car traffic accidents were reported, just in one year. That’s approx. 307 car accidents every single day (on average). In Chicago alone.

After all, it’s more about exposure while in traffic, especially when you account for the fact that delivery and commercial vehicles appear A LOT more in reports than others.

SUVs vs Compact Cars in Crash Data

More precisely, after taking a look at the overall accident situation, when considering car types and their safety, each can be accommodated to some extent.

Besides, the sales market doesn’t provide you with all the information and accident statistics.

For instance, SUVs have won global markets, even though they are best suited for suburban areas and highways; they have overruled compact cars.

As for risks, each car can lead to serious injuries; the good thing is that today’s modern accident simulators.

When you put all the information about your desired car, you will see whether it is likely to be rolled over or in a low-speed collision.

City Driving and Best-Sellers

In urban environments, opposed to everyone’s rushing and tendencies to be more efficient, the majority of accidents happen at low speeds. 

Start-stop systems might make it even harder when you have to make quick decisions in traffic jams. This has to do with the fact that it takes a few moments until the car restarts. This severely limits your ability to react. The system is good for your fuel economy, but in terms of safety, it goes against you.

This is very useful data for car owners when they’re deciding on a specific car and/or a specific feature.

The more those types of feature-tied accidents happen, the more likely they are to be tied to certain vehicles and statistics.

Another example of specific cars being designed to specific statistics/data points is compact cars, like Citroën C3 or Renault Clio, which are at their peak in car sales in Europe; they happen to be ideal for parking, plus (the con of compact cars) they’re also more liable for side-swipes and rear-end problems.

Driver Behaviour Behind The Data

The most unpredictable factor in any crash report that can’t be statistically measured is the person behind the wheel.

Some drive scared, and others drive egoistically, but they can both end up in the same accidents.

Conclusion

If you’re looking to buy a car, or you’re just wondering about your current car and how ‘safe’ it is, then you need to look at accident data. 

Why? 

It’s these types of information that paint a full picture about what your car is capable of, depending on what type of driver YOU are. So with such accurate data points, you can get some glimpse at what’s possible and what to expect. 

Without accident data, that’s impossible.