Hybrid Cars Safer for Texas Drivers, but More Dangerous for Texas Pedestrians

In a recent report issued by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), researchers determined that passengers in a hybrid car are 25 percent less likely to be injured in a Texas car wreck than passengers in a conventional car.

Hybrids are Heavier
Fuel efficient cars tend to be smaller, lighter, and in general less safe than "gas guzzling" vehicles. Because of their inability to withstand even relatively low-speed crashes, drivers and passengers in these cars are more likely to suffer injuries in a Texas car accident.

But new data suggests that hybrid cars are actually safer. The high-tech batteries installed in hybrid cars make them an average of 10 percent heavier than non-hybrid cars. This makes the cars better able with withstand a crashes.

Pedestrians Beware
While hybrid cars protect their occupants better than other fuel efficient vehicles, Texas pedestrians are 20 percent more likely to be hit by a hybrid car.

Because hybrids are so quiet, many pedestrians do not hear them coming, especially if they are not paying attention. Regular Dallas pedestrians who work in the busiest parts of the city may now want to put their phones away while walking or pay better attention before crossing the street.

The quiet nature of hybrid cars is so serious that the U.S. Department of Transportation is even looking into ways to make these cars noisier so that pedestrians can hear them coming.

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