Are Convertibles Safe? Considerations, Factors, & FAQ
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Shea Cummings
- Last updated:
It is a pretty incredible feeling to be buzzing down the road with the soft top down on a convertible. Wind in your hair and not a care in the world. But without a fixed roof, wondering whether convertibles are safe is a valid question.
Automobile makers wouldn’t be able to continue making a certain model if there were glaring safety concerns, right? However, suppose the safety issues were minor enough. In that case, a vehicle may be able to continue being produced and just come with higher risks.
But what are the facts?
How Safe are Convertibles?
Opinion and guesswork are one thing. But when it comes to safety, we must look at the cold hard facts and statistics. According to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)¹ a couple of years ago, modern convertibles aren’t actually any risker than nonconvertible cars.
The convertibles came out as slightly safer from a purely statistical perspective between crash rates and driver deaths. However, the stats are slightly skewed because there were fewer car crashes involving convertibles overall, so it’s more accurate to consider them mostly equal with all things considered.
Factors That Contribute to Their Safety
- They often have a lower center of gravity and are less prone to rollovers.
- Statistics showed a slight decrease in speeding and higher seat belt wearing amongst convertible drivers.
- Many manufacturers reinforce key areas like the A-frame pillars, and some include roll bars for added rollover protection.
- Many convertibles include technology like automatic shock adjustment or leveling to help prevent rollovers.
Is There Anything Unsafe About a Convertible?
Surprisingly, convertibles seem to be as safe as nonconvertible cars in most cases and safer in some. However, there is one significant way that they have a higher risk. The same study that showed how safe they were also noted that passengers were 8% more likely to be ejected from their seats. And this accounted for almost a quarter of all deaths from collisions in a convertible.
Considerations When Choosing a Convertible
When thinking about buying a convertible, safety isn’t the only thing to consider.
- Because of their design, there is often less storage than a convertible car.
- Typically, the price tag is significantly higher on a convertible.
- Maintenance costs are usually more because you’ll also have to perform special care on the top, plus all the extra maintenance on more moving parts.
- On the day when you want the top-up because of the weather, you may find it leaks if it hasn’t been cared for properly.
- Insurance will typically cost more on a convertible.
Conclusion
The stats have spoken if you’ve been dreaming about buying that new Mustang convertible but hesitated because you started thinking it may be a riskier car to drive. You’re at no more risk of injury or death during an accident under most conditions.
The best way to ensure safety is by following all road laws, driving to conditions, and wearing your seat belt.
Featured Photo Credit: tyler_clemmensen, Pixabay
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