There’s no way around it: Convertibles look dangerous. The driver and passengers are completely exposed. It’s easy to imagine that they would suffer severe injuries if they were involved in an accident, especially something like an underride accident or a rollover accident. It also seems like people would be more likely to be ejected from the vehicle and suffer severe injuries.
But the surprising truth is that the fatality rate for convertibles is actually lower than that for vehicles that are not convertibles. The crash rate is also lower. In other words, the statistics showed no indication that convertibles are more dangerous or lead to more fatalities. If anything, drivers are crashing less often, and passing away in these accidents at a lower rate than their counterparts.
Is there any truth to these common fears?
One thing that studies did find is that ejection rates were higher. If the crash involved a fatal ejection, it was statistically more likely that this crash had occurred in a convertible than a conventional vehicle. This certainly makes sense. Not all drivers use their seatbelts, and those in convertibles would have a greater risk of being ejected in this situation.
As far as rollover risks, reports claim that some automakers have taken deliberate steps to make their vehicles safer by strengthening A-pillars and supports. Convertibles also tend to have a low center of gravity. They are less likely to roll over, so it just doesn’t happen as often as it does with top-heavy SUVs and other such vehicles.
No matter what type of car you drive, though, you could be injured if another driver makes a mistake. If this happens to you, be sure you know how to seek financial compensation.