Most Dangerous Cars of 2010---As Judged By Forbes

Top Two Most Dangerous Cars

Chrysler PT Cruiser

Chevrolet Aveo

The way a car handles itself during a crash determines much about the severity of the occupants' injuries. Some cars hold up better than others: Tiny cars and low-level sedans are especially at risk, according to crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Bigger cars, because of their mass, generally fare better in tests--but may be more likely to roll. This helps explain why the Chevrolet Aveo and Chrysler PT Cruiser, both inexpensive, smaller cars, have the worst crash-test ratings in their class--they each received "marginal" test-results for side- and rear-impacts. They join the Cadillac STS and Mercury Grand Marquis as some of the most dangerous vehicles of 2010.

The list of the most dangerous cars was compiled using IIHS crash-test results on 2010 model-year vehicles. After each crash, test dummies are checked for trauma in 28 body regions for front crashes and 37 regions for side crashes. A "poor" rating means severe and possibly fatal trauma happened to drivers and/or passengers during the crash, while a "good" rating means little to no trauma occurred. Cars were awarded values for each overall front, side and rear ratings, with more points awarded for better results ("good" received 4 points, "acceptable" received 3 points, etc.), for a maximum possible total of 12 points. The cars on the list scored the lowest number of total points in their segment.

Except in the case of mini cars, they did not evaluate roof strength, as not all 2010 vehicles have been tested for it yet by the IIHS. It's crucial to note that all of the cars on the list more than meet federal safety standards, and they're all much safer than anything on the road even 15 years ago. "Automakers have really taken over the lead in safety," says Russ Rader, an IIHS spokesman, because consumers prioritize it when they make a purchase. Furthermore, some cars on the list, while earning the lowest scores in their class, still scored as many as 10 points out of the 12, such as the Mitsubishi Galant and Nissan's Titan truck. These vehicles make the list because they score only slightly lower in otherwise overwhelmingly safe classes.

It's also true that the IIHS tests are more severe than those administered by the Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. David Zuby, senior vice president of vehicle research at IIHS, says his organization's more-stringent standards are truer to reality than the government measures. He also says the Jeep Wrangler two-door and four-door on our list are somewhat special cases, since their removable doors hurt their side-impact test scores compared to their competitors. They received "poor" and "marginal" side-impact ratings, respectively.

Bigger is Better Even though they separated the cars on the list by segment, there's no getting around physics: In a crash, vehicles with more mass will fare better than smaller vehicles. A 5,500-pound Chevrolet Tahoe will beat a 1,000-pound Nissan Micra every time.

"Our recommendation would be for people to look at midsized cars," Zuby says. "There are a number of midsize cars that if you buy the less powerful engine of the options available, you get gas mileage that is comparable to many of the smaller cars. And by being midsize as opposed to small, you have the size advantage, and there are a lot of midsize cars with good crash-test ratings. Crossovers and wagons count as well."

Something else to notice: Part of the reason why no luxury cars ( except for the Cadillac STS which fared poorly in rear-collision tests) appear on the list is because automakers often put the newest, most expensive safety options in their high-end line first, to test driver acceptance. Then, as awareness increases and production volumes rise, manufacturers install the same features in mainline vehicles, with less cost attached.

Come on guys; 'safety first' in all makes and models please.

FORBES' LIST OF MOST DANGEROUS CARS:

Chevrolet Aveo

Chrysler PT Cruiser

Mitsubishi Galant

Mercury Grand Marquis

Cadillac STS

Jeep Wrangler - two door

Jeep Wrangler - four door

Nissan Titan