It’s May and temperatures are starting to rise. With summer quickly approaching, it’s difficult to imagine a day out on the road without picturing a convertible at any point. It’s the ultimate vehicular expression for a sun-soaked drive, letting you sit behind the wheel and feel the wind rush by as you push the throttle.
What is your dream convertible for the summer months? Are you craving the pure driving experience offered by the Mazda Miata? If you are interested, you probably should go out and buy a Miata. The Japanese automaker saw sales for its small, venerable sports car drop by double digits last year. Only time will tell how severely tariffs impact sales. If price isn’t a factor, you might consider an Aston Martin. The British luxury manufacturer revealed the 812-horsepower Vanquish Volante earlier this year. You don’t need a roof to go faster than 210 miles per hour.
Convertible aren’t more dangerous than roofed cars
The convertible’s association with carefree summer driving also reinforces the notion that open-top cars are more dangerous. However, data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows that there’s no added risk in convertibles compared to closed-top vehicles when looking at crash and fatality rates. Research also found that convertible drivers were more likely to wear their seatbelts and less likely to speed. However, they aren’t more well-behaved on the road across the board. These drivers are also more likely to drink before getting behind the wheel.
There aren’t any solid conclusions from the IIHS report and any assumptions would just be conjecture, like drivers being more cautious because the sense of speed is more apparent in a convertible. Don’t forget to share your dream summer convertible in the comments below. Maybe you’ll convince yourself to splurge on actually buying it because a report says they’re just as safe as your roofed car is right now.
