Every time you get behind the wheel of your car, you're taking on an enormous responsibility. You may just see your vehicle as a means to get from one place to another, but if you're not careful, you could be risking others' lives. More than 38,000 people in the U.S. died in car accidents in 2020, data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveals. According to NHTSA's findings, as analyzed by North Bay Legal in Santa Rosa, California, reckless driving is one of the top 10 causes of fatal car crashes (the others being drivers who swerve to avoid hitting an object or person, those who fail to obey traffic signals and signs, drivers who overcorrect or oversteer, careless drivers, distracted drivers, those who fail to yield to the right of way, drivers who veer into another lane, those who drive under the influence, and of course, those who are speeding). "Reckless driving is different from careless driving. Reckless drivers display a blatant disregard for the rules of the road, and as a result, the safety of other drivers," North Bay Legal explains, noting that these drivers account for 3.5 percent of fatal crashes on average. And research shows that there are drivers of certain cars that tend to be more reckless on the road than others.
In a recent study from the insurance company Insurify, researchers analyzed the 1.9 million motorists in their database to discover which car models have the most drivers with reckless driving infractions. The company examined drivers' records, which were submitted when applying for insurance, to determine which car models have the highest rate of reckless driving infractions since 2010.
Insurify found that for any given car model, an average of 15 out of 10,000 of its drivers have at least one reckless driving infraction on their record. But every car on this list has at least 44 per 10,000 drivers, and it seems one kind of car tends to see more incidents than others. "While the top 10 list of models with the most reckless driving infractions comprises trucks, SUVs, sedans, coupes, and luxury vehicles, the most strongly represented category by far is sports cars," Insurify says. Wondering which car to steer clear of on the road? Read on!
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10 | Dodge Challenger
BoJack / ShutterstockDrivers with a reckless driving infraction: 44 per 10,000
The Dodge Challenger is a popular muscle car and it has the 10th highest rate of reckless driving infractions in the U.S. with 44 per 10,000 drivers. Car shopping website Edmunds notes that the 2022 Challenger has quite the engine, with up to 485 horsepower, and some drivers seem to be taking advantage of that. In March 2020, for example, one driver of a 2009 challenger in New York was pulled over for going 145 miles per hour (mph) in a 65 mph zone, as noted by The Drive.
9 | Saturn L200
AIVRAD / ShutterstockDrivers with a reckless driving infraction: 45 per 10,000
Compared to the Dodge Challenger, Saturn L200's engine is quite weak, with 140 horsepower, the lowest out of all the cars on this list. But that doesn't mean that drivers of the sedan haven't had their fair share of reckless driving incidents. Even though Saturn stopped producing these cars in 2004, there have still been 45 reckless driving infractions per 10,000 drivers since 2010.
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8 | RAM 1500
Lasting Shutter Studio / ShutterstockDrivers with a reckless driving infraction: 46 in 10,000
Some drivers of this popular pickup truck haven't managed to stay in control—the model has seen 46 reckless driving infractions per 10,000 drivers since 2010.
And in another recent study conducted by Insurify, the company set out to discover which cars had the most drivers who were caught driving under the influence (DUI), and the RAM 2500, another model from the company, had the highest DUI rate, with 45.3 citations per 1,000 drivers.
7 | Volkswagen CC
Yuri Kabantsev / ShutterstockDrivers with a reckless driving infraction: 47 per 10,000
Although it only has a horsepower of 200, much lower than the RAM 1500 and the Dodge Challenger, many drivers of the Volkswagen CC have been pulled over for reckless driving. The company stopped producing this model back in 2017, but it still seems to be wreaking havoc on the road with 47 reckless driving incidents per 10,000 drivers.
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6 | Cadillac ATS
DarthArt / iStockDrivers with a reckless driving infraction: 48 per 10,000
With a horsepower of 272, the Cadillac ATS's engine is fairly strong, per Edmunds. Though the model was discontinued in 2019, Insurify's data shows that those still driving these vehicles may not be the most cautious, with 48 reckless driving incidents for every 10,000 drivers.
5 | Chevrolet K1500
Jonathan Weiss / ShutterstockDrivers with a reckless driving infraction: 56 per 10,000
The Chevrolet K1500 is the oldest car model on this list (the model was discontinued back in 1999). But Insurify discovered that drivers of this pickup are still racking up many reckless driving infractions, with a 250 percent higher rate of offenses than the average car in the U.S. (which sees 15 per 10,000 drivers, compared to 56).
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4 | Nissan 370Z
ShutterstockDrivers with a reckless driving infraction: 61 per 10,000
The Nissan 37oZ is the car model with the fourth highest rate of reckless drivers in the U.S. The sports car, which Nissan just stopped making in 2020, has been involved in numerous incidents.
In July 2020, a Nissan 37oZ driver was going 60 mph in a 20 mph zone in New York and struck and killed a father in front of his wife and child. The car hadn't been properly inspected and its tires were badly worn. "This horrific crash was no accident," Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez told a local ABC News affiliate. "It was a preventable crime that stemmed from reckless behavior before and during the collision. The defendant chose to drive a car he knew was not safe, allegedly sped on wet road conditions and took the life of a hard-working father."
3 | Isuzu Rodeo
nitinut380 / ShutterstockDrivers with a reckless driving infraction: 62 per 10,000
Isuzu Motors hasn't released any of their Rodeo car models since 2004, making this another one of the older cars on this list. And while it may not be able to go as fast as a fancy sports car would, as the Rodeo has 250 horsepower, owners have a very high rate of reckless driving infraction nonetheless at 62 incidents per 10,000 drivers.
2 | Hyundai Genesis Coupe
Art Konovalov / ShutterstockDrivers with a reckless driving infraction: 67 per 10,000
Coming in second place as the car with the most reckless drivers is the Hyundai Genesis Coupe. The sports car has 348 horsepower, which is one of the highest on this list. And even though Hyundai stopped producing this model in 2016, its drivers are still out there racking up reckless driving infractions at a rate of 67 per 10,000 drivers, which is nearly 350 percent higher than the average vehicle in the U.S.
1 | Mazda MX-5 Miata
GabrielPreda6 / ShutterstockDrivers with a reckless driving infraction: 73 per 10,000
Even though it has a low horsepower of 181, compared to some of the other vehicles on this list, drivers of the Mazda MX-5 Miata have made some reckless moves behind the wheel. According to the 2021 data collected by Insurify, this Mazda has the most reckless drivers—73 infractions per 10,000—almost 390 percent above the average rate.
As recently as this past week, someone was killed in a 10-car pile-up crash at the Nurburgring motorsports complex in Germany after a Mazda MX-5 Miata hit a tow truck during a public lapping session, Road & Track reports.
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