Arlington, VA – Drivers of hybrid cars are 25 percent less likely to be injured in a crash compared with drivers of non-hybrid vehicles, according to a new Highway Loss Data Institute study (.pdf file).
Researchers compared insurance medial payments for more than 25 hybrid models and their corresponding standard version. They attributed the difference in injury rates to the hybrids’ heavier weight, stating that the hybrid versions were, on average, 10 percent heavier than their counterparts. Batteries and other components make hybrid vehicles heavier, researchers said. Lighter vehicles tend to be pushed back more than heavier ones in collisions, increasing the odds of injury for the lighter-vehicle occupants, the study concluded.
