DETROIT – It's no secret that some vehicles can survive car crashes and offer passengers better protection than others. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety performs crash tests to see which models do well, and which ones do not. The website 24/7 Wall Street has analyzed those results and came up with a list of the most dangerous cars in America.
The crash tests
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The IIHS does four different kind of crash tests: front offset, side-impact, rollover, and rear-impact. Each test puts the vehicle in different situations to see how it performs. 24/7 Wall Street found seven current models that received a "marginal" or "poor" rating in two of the four categories. Those models ended up on the list of "Most Dangerous Cars:
"Most Dangerous": A Dodge
According to this list- the Dodge Ram 1500 is listed as "Most Dangerous". Though it's been on the market since 1981, its safety record has been unimpressive. Despite poor crash test results, sales are strong. Between 2007 and 2011, Dodge sold more than 100,000 trucks each year.
Chevy and GMC rankings
The Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon crew cab are up next. They are fundamentally the same light truck made by General Motors. In the IIHS tests it earned a "poor" grade for side-impact and "marginal" grades for rollover and rear safety.
The Rest of the List
Here's a look at the models that round out the list: Mazda's CX-7, Mazda's CX-9. Nissan's Pathfinder, Jeep Wrangle, and Suzuki SX4.To read more about the ratings: http://247wallst.com/2012/05/29/the-most-dangerous-cars-in-america/