You can add crash protection to the list of reasons to buy a hybrid vehicle. A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Highway Loss Data Institute finds that hybrid vehicles protect occupants in a crash much better than non-hybrid vehicles do.

Researchers analyzed more than 25 combinations of hybrid-conventional vehicles as part of the study. They found a substantially lower risk of injuries involving occupants of hybrid vehicles. The reason for this is that these vehicles are much heavier than conventional vehicles. A hybrid vehicle weighs about 10% more than a nonhybrid vehicle. This additional mass gives these cars a distant advantage in accidents. As a result, these vehicles offer approximately 25% greater protection in the event of an accident, compared to non-hybrid vehicles.

This increased crash protection in hybrid vehicles is definitely good news for San Francisco car accident lawyers, considering the popularity of hybrid vehicles in San Francisco and around California. For a long time, drivers had to choose between fuel efficiency and environmental impact before buying a car. Environment-friendly cars were lighter, smaller and therefore, less safe than conventional vehicles. However, as the Highway Loss Data Institute study shows, that isn't true any longer.

The Highway Loss Data Institute findings coincide with other findings by the Insurance Industry for Highway Safety. The studies have found that a vehicle’s size and weight does impact the risk or severity of injuries in accidents. One recent study found that driver death rates dropped with an increase in vehicle weight. In fact, the Insurance Institute’s studies into hybrid and conventional vehicle crash protection rates is allowing researchers to examine more closely how vehicle mass affects the risk of injuries accidents.