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Safest Cars Ever? Not A Single Driver Died In These 9 Vehicle Models

WASHINGTON (CBS) -- For years, crash tests have shown steady improvement in vehicle safety. Now a new report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety confirms those findings.

"We've seen a lot of stories about recalls and people may be nervous about the vehicles, but the fact is vehicles are as safe as they have ever been," said IIHS President Adrian Lund.

According to the report, the chances of dying in a crash in a late-model vehicle in 2011 fell by 41 percent, compared to late-model vehicles in 2008.

Eight years ago no vehicle model had zero driver deaths, but nine different 2011 models have not had a single fatality. Six of those nine are SUVs.

"That is a real turnaround from a decade ago when SUVs weren't the safest vehicles on the road because they had a tendency to roll over," said Lund.

The nine safest vehicles--with zero driver deaths--were:

  • Audi A4 4WD
  • Honda Odyssey
  • Kia Sorento 2WD
  • Lexus RX 350 4WD
  • Mercedes-Benz GL-Class 4WD
  • Subaru Legacy 4WD
  • Toyota Highlander hybrid 4WD
  • Toyota Sequioa 4WD
  • Volvo XC90 4WD

Bay Area automaker Tesla was not tested.

COMPLETE RAW REPORT: IIHS Report

The worst vehicles?

Read the rest of the story on CBS News: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/report-lists-cars-with-highest-and-lowest-rates-of-deaths/

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