For decades, owning a convertible carried a big risk – if the car flipped, the lack of a fixed roof could mean a far greater chance of injury or death. For many of a certain age, that memory still lingers. But the reality today is very different.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), modern convertibles are no more dangerous than vehicles with solid roofs — and in some cases, they perform better.
The institute compared driver death rates and crash involvement per miles traveled between 2014 and 2018 for both convertible and non-convertible versions of cars. It factored in whether drivers were belted, impaired, or ejected.
Surprisingly, the numbers showed that convertibles did not lag behind their hardtop siblings. That’s great news for people who love riding with the top down, tunes blasting, enjoying life, either solo or with a partner.
In fact, convertibles were involved in 6% fewer police-reported crashes per miles traveled. In some model matchups, driver fatality rates were actually lower in the open-air versions.
Why the counterintuitive results? A few theories stand out:
Demographics. Convertibles are more expensive, often attracting older drivers with more income — and generally, more caution behind the wheel.
Vehicle weight. Soft-top versions usually weigh more, and heavier vehicles fare better in crashes.
Driving style. With the top down, drivers are more attuned to their surroundings. And these cars tend to be driven in fair weather, not on icy roads.
Behavior. Convertible drivers buckle up more often and speed less, though data shows they are slightly more likely to drive impaired.
This doesn’t mean every convertible is safe. The IIHS findings apply to vehicles built since 2014, not to that 1990 BMW 325ic or a 1978 Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet. Manufacturers in the last decade have reinforced windshield pillars, added roll bars, and beefed up structural safety specifically for rollover protection.
Earlier tests back this up. When IIHS ran a batch of midsize convertibles through crash evaluations in 2007, most scored acceptably in front and side impacts, though head restraints were still weak. Since then, convertibles have been a low priority in testing simply because they make up a smaller share of sales — but their safety improvements have kept pace with the industry.
Eric Teoh, IIHS Director of Statistical Services, says: “These findings don’t suggest convertibles are safer than other cars, but they show there’s no statistical reason to think they’re more dangerous.”
The conclusions draw on the Fatality Analysis Reporting System maintained by NHTSA, as well as national crash sampling databases. Together, they confirm what many enthusiasts already suspected – there’s no more reason to worry about someone in a convertible than in any other vehicle on the road. As always, careful driving, following speed limits, driving straight and sober and watching your speed are the best defenses against a crash in the first place.