The Chevrolet Camaro ranked as the most dangerous first vehicle for teenagers in an August 2026 Conboy Law Injury & Medical Malpractice Lawyers analysis provided to The Dallas Express that combined fatal-crash involvement, crash protection, collision-avoidance technology, and ownership costs across 22 selected models.
Camaro Finishes Last in Composite Ranking
A new study by Conboy Law Injury & Medical Malpractice Lawyers gave the Camaro a safety score of 21.06 out of 100, an affordability score of 62.02, and a final score of 41.83 — the lowest among the 22 models studied.
Researchers said they analyzed fatal-crash data, crashworthiness ratings, safety technology, purchase prices, monthly operating expenses, and maintenance costs. Lower scores represented greater risk or lower affordability. The firm’s published dataset and methodology assigned the Camaro a crashworthiness score of 2 on its 4-point scale and a safety-technology score of 1 out of 3.
The Jeep Wrangler placed second, followed by the Chevrolet Blazer, Ford Mustang, and Toyota Tacoma. Four of those five are sports cars, off-road vehicles, or pickup trucks.
The study’s 10 lowest-ranked vehicles were:
| Vehicle | Safety Score | Affordability Score | Final Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Camaro | 21.06 | 62.02 | 41.83 |
| Jeep Wrangler | 81.24 | 55.43 | 68.82 |
| Chevrolet Blazer | 89.54 | 53.40 | 71.98 |
| Ford Mustang | 93.21 | 61.05 | 77.68 |
| Toyota Tacoma | 96.35 | 60.39 | 78.92 |
| Nissan Altima | 67.50 | 90.98 | 79.80 |
| Hyundai Tucson | 90.76 | 73.72 | 82.82 |
| Honda CR-V | 91.19 | 73.52 | 82.94 |
| Toyota RAV4 | 91.76 | 78.93 | 85.95 |
| Volkswagen Jetta | 77.17 | 93.67 | 86.02 |
The Blazer received the lowest affordability score among those 10 vehicles, with the study using a starting price of approximately $34,200.
Independent Data Show Elevated Camaro Death Rate
The study’s description of the Camaro as having the “worst crash protection” requires context because its four-point calculation is not the same as an official government or Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rating.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave 2016-2023 Camaro models “Good” ratings in several crashworthiness tests, including the driver-side small-overlap and original moderate-overlap front tests. However, the Camaro lacked pedestrian front-crash prevention technology evaluated by IIHS for the 2024 model, which received a “Poor” rating in that category.
Crashworthiness measures occupant protection after a collision, while crash-avoidance ratings assess whether technology can prevent or mitigate one. The categories should not be treated as interchangeable.
More recent real-world findings nevertheless show elevated risks associated with the Camaro. In a July 2026 analysis, IIHS reported 88 Camaro driver deaths per 1 million registered vehicle years, compared with an average of 37 across all models studied. The Camaro was also involved in 87 deaths of drivers in other vehicles per 1 million registered vehicle years.
The figures were based on crashes from 2021 through 2024 involving 2023 models and structurally equivalent earlier vehicles. They were adjusted for driver age and sex but not for mileage, speed, or all differences in driver behavior.
“Powerful engines and marketing that attracts aggressive drivers is the issue for sports cars and muscle cars,” IIHS President David Harkey said. “They’re dangerous mainly because of how they’re driven.”
Teen Inexperience Magnifies Vehicle Risk
Teenagers already face greater crash risks regardless of what they drive.
IIHS reports that teen drivers have crash rates more than four times those of drivers 20 and older per mile traveled.
Speed is a major factor. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that speeding was involved in 33% of passenger-vehicle drivers ages 15 to 18 who were involved in fatal crashes during 2024.
As The Dallas Express previously reported, crashes involving drivers ages 15 to 18 killed 2,320 people in 2024, including 752 teen drivers and 478 passengers riding with teen drivers.
IIHS and Consumer Reports exclude sports cars and vehicles with excessive horsepower from their recommendations for young drivers. Their guidance favors vehicles with strong crash-test performance, automatic emergency braking, manageable power, and enough weight to protect occupants without the handling characteristics of the largest trucks and SUVs.
The Conboy ranking does not establish that every Camaro is less safe than every other available vehicle. It identifies the Camaro as the lowest-scoring model within one selected group under the firm’s methodology. For families choosing a first vehicle, federal crash ratings, IIHS evaluations, active safety equipment, vehicle condition, insurance costs, and the teenager’s driving experience provide additional points of comparison.
The ranking from Conboy Law Injury & Medical Malpractice Lawyers is not a government safety designation, and its findings apply only to the vehicles included in the firm’s analysis. However, separate federal and insurance-industry data support its broader warning about placing inexperienced drivers in powerful sports cars.
Provided by Dallas Express
