Three models of Vauxhalls are in the top five most-crashed cars in the UK, according to the Department for Transport.
The Zafira, Astra and Corsa all made the list of cars most likely to be involved in an accident, while the Renault Clio and BMW 3 Series also figured prominently.
Car leasing firm Rivervale Leasing sent a Freedom of Information request to the DfT to find which vehicles were involved in the most and least accidents over the last five years.
The request asked for the number of vehicles involved in accidents by make, model and accident severity between 2015-2019.
The more examples of each car there are on the road, the higher the likelihood of an accident. It’s little surprise, then, that the Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa – the UK’s bestsellers right now – had the most accidents according to the DfT, each with more than 33,000 total.
It was then calculated the number of accidents per 10,000 models on the road.
By this measure, it’s the Vauxhall Zafira that has had the most incidents, with more than 500 accidents for every 10,000 models. And the safest model? That's the humble old Morris. with just 16 crashes for every 10,000 models.
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The cars which have been in the most accidents
| Model |
Total accidents |
Models in the UK |
Accidents per 10,000 models |
| 1. Vauxhall Zafira |
12,076 |
236,269 |
511 |
| 2. Vauxhall Astra |
30,734 |
847,079 |
363 |
| 3. Renault Clio |
13,971 |
416,823 |
335 |
| 4. Vauxhall Corsa |
33,264 |
1,059,717 |
314 |
| 5. BMW 3 Series |
17,215 |
578,674 |
297 |
| 6. Ford Focus |
32,730 |
1,198,667 |
273 |
| 7. Volkswagen Golf |
25,089 |
1,046,668 |
240 |
| 8. Ford Fiesta |
35,602 |
1,530,969 |
233 |
| 9. Volkswagen Polo |
15,692 |
678,366 |
231 |
| 10. Toyota Yaris |
11,135 |
489,878 |
227 |
Cars in the least number of accidents per 10,000 models
- Morris – 16
- Austin – 26
- Tesla – 28
- Ferrari – 39
- Aston Martin – 40
- Lotus – 55
- Bentley – 75
- Infiniti – 105
- Maserati – 106
- Abarth – 114
Bud Johnson, from Rivervale Leasing, said: "Ultimately, safety is a top priority for any driver, so you should take steps to avoid an accident in the first place – stick to the speed limit, never tailgate and always keep your eyes on the road.
"If you unfortunately do get into an accident, stop your vehicle as soon as you can safely and call an ambulance if anyone is seriously hurt.
"You will likely be in shock after a crash, so remember to take time-stamped photographs of your vehicle and other cars involved to remind you of the details."
