In a recent article by USA Today, the results of an eye-opening study by the insurance site Insurify reveal some new statistics about the vehicles that have been in the most car accidents in the United States. According to the study, the vehicle with the most recorded at-fault accidents was the Subaru Crosstrek.

Subaru loves safety features, including in the Crosstrek

The Crosstrek is the only true crossover SUV that Subaru offers, alongside the Outback wagons and the monstrous new Ascent. Sales have steadily increased for the Crosstrek, topping 100,000 units for the last two years running. For the Crosstrek the popular Boxer engine offered in other Subaru models is dropped into a mid-size SUV body with all-wheel drive, 8.7 inches of ground clearance, and nearly 52 cubic feet of storage space. Subaru is known for its reputation as a manufacturer of some of the safest cars on the road today, and the Crosstrek is no exception.

Subaru’s EyeSight technology, which uses front-facing sensors to determine objects in the path of the vehicle, is available on all the latest Subaru models. When tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the feature was accredited with reducing rear-end crashes with injuries by up to 85%. The new Crosstrek is also available with Lane Assist, which helps to keep the driver in their own lane when it senses the car drifting. Pre-Collision control is used in tandem with the front-facing sensors on the Crosstrek to reduce engine power and apply full-force braking if an imminent impact is detected. In addition, Subaru offers blind spot warnings with side-mounted sensors, as well as automatic braking in reverse.

Subaru’s safety ratings

Subaru models have routinely achieved some of the highest results on traffic safety testing among any other manufacturers. Kelly Blue Book has named Subaru the Most Trusted Brand for the last five years, and the Crosstrek is one of five Subaru models that has been awarded five-star safety ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The safety features designed to help prevent accidents aren’t the only things contributing to the Crosstrek’s many accolades. The Japanese manufacturer also offers the Starlink system, an on-board communication system that can notify first responders in the event of a crash, or be used to call for help in non-emergency situations. While many of the accidents reported have minor or no injuries, Subaru owners are given some extra peace of mind knowing that emergency assistance is only a button-push away.

In the study conducted by Insurify, new policyholders were required to list their current model vehicle, and if it had been in any accidents. These vehicle histories are crucial to insurance companies in order to determine the risk involved with insuring particular models. This study could likely trigger some insurance companies to raise rates for Subaru owners. According to Safer-America.com, private insurers cover about 50% of the costs of all accidents in the U.S.

Can Subaru save face?

Subaru’s history of building safe vehicles may help mitigate any bad publicity from the study. The Crosstrek wasn’t the only Subaru model on the list, though: Fifth place for number of wrecks was the WRX. Subaru’s marquee sports car was also the most frequently ticketed for speeding, to no one’s surprise.

The study found that about 13% percent of all the vehicles listed had been in accidents, while over 25% of all Crosstreks listed had been involved in a crash. While Subaru has an excellent reputation for safety, they may have some damage control to perform based on these statistics. From the safety test results it would appear that maybe Crosstrek owners aren’t successfully implementing all of the collision-avoidance features at their disposal, but it’s a rough road trying to place this blame entirely on drivers.