SEOUL, KOREA - Hyundai’s advertisement using J.D. Power‘s Customer satisfaction award and Driver death rate of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in US.
It’s shocking that Hyundai and Kia cars, compared to Japanese cars of the same model, are found to have a higher mortality on the highway in the United States.
While Hyundai Motors has been awarded 1st in American customer satisfaction in 2014 by J.D. Power, the current cars, Hyundai Elantra(Avante in domestic market name) of 2007/8 year and Kia Spectra from 2005 to 2008 year, were ranked 3rd and 4th for the highest deaths in car accidents.
According to status report of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA), the Driver Death Rates of traffic accidents show 80 for the Elantra and 87 for the Spectra, which were higher than 72 of average mortality rates in a 4-door small car.
Moreover, the same kinds of cars from Toyota and Honda in Japan have each shown 52 and 53 in Driver Death Rates in contrast to Hyundai.
Also, Hyundai Accent, ranked 1st in American customer satisfaction in 2014 by J.D. Power, has shown 70 in Driver Death Rates for models from 2005 to 2008.
It’s ranked 3rd in the highest driver deaths, compared with 2nd ranking of Kia Rio, and showed 89 in driver’s deaths rate.
On the other hand, the same kind car from Toyota has shown a lower driver death rate and averaged 65.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety explains “The driver death rates means driver’s safety in car accidents and the higher value presents a higher mortality on the highway in the United States.”
The institute adds “It’s useful information for driver to own a car relating to this data because of the criteria to buy safer vehicle among used cars.”
For reference, being two of the selling car in September among new models from 2014 year, Hyundai Elantra and Accent respectively sold 18848 and 3662 in in US.
by Lee Jae-seung(jasonlee@koreaittimes.com)
