How safe is the Chevrolet Traverse?
Drivers of the 2022–2023 Chevrolet Traverse died at a rate of 12 per million registered vehicle years, 65% lower than the average of 37 for all vehicles. That makes it one of the safest vehicles on the road for its driver: it ranks 27th of 129 vehicles, safer than 80% of them, whether they're small cars, SUVs, pickups or minivans.
Where the Chevrolet Traverse sits among all 129 vehicles
Chevrolet Traverse (bar is the 95% range)Every other ranked vehicleDashed line: average of 37
The rate is based on plenty of data, so this ranking is reliable.
2WD vs. 4WD
IIHS rates each drivetrain separately. The score above combines them, weighting the version with more data more heavily.
| Version | Deaths* | 95% range |
|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Traverse 2WD | 16 | 0–34 |
| Chevrolet Traverse 4WD | 10 | 0–23 |
Vehicles ranked near the Chevrolet Traverse
These are the vehicles just above and below it on the all-class ranking. Notice they aren't all the same type: the ranking compares every vehicle against every other one. Ranks use each rate after adjusting for how much data is behind it, so a rate of 0 from a few vehicles can rank below a slightly higher rate from many. Why.
| Rank | Vehicle | Deaths* | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | Jeep Grand Cherokee L 4WDSUV · Midsize | 11 | 82 |
| 25 | Toyota Sienna hybridWagon / minivan · Very large | 12 | 81 |
| 26 | Ford Mustang Mach-E electric 4WDSUV · Midsize | 11 | 80 |
| 27 | Chevrolet TraverseSUV · Midsize | 12 | 80 |
| 28 | Lexus GX 460 4WDLuxury SUV · Large | 12 | 79 |
| 29 | BMW X3Luxury SUV · Midsize | 13 | 78 |
| 30 | Volvo XC40 4WDLuxury SUV · Small | 11 | 77 |
How it compares with other SUVs
Among the 46 SUVs ranked, the Chevrolet Traverse is 12th. The safest SUVs are below. See all SUVs.
| SUVs rank | Vehicle | Deaths* | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chevrolet Tahoe 4WDSUV · Large | 0 | 100 |
| 2 | Toyota RAV4 Prime Plug-in hybrid 4WDSUV · Small | 5 | 96 |
| 3 | Volkswagen AtlasSUV · Midsize | 6 | 95 |
| 4 | Chevrolet Suburban 1500 4WDSUV · Very large | 6 | 94 |
| 5 | Ford Escape hybridSUV · Small | 7 | 91 |
| 12 | Chevrolet TraverseSUV · Midsize | 12 | 80 |
Earlier models
In the earlier IIHS study of 2018–2020 models, the Chevrolet Traverse had a driver death rate of 9 (range 2–15) and ranked 23rd of 127. The newer rate is higher.
Common questions
Is the Chevrolet Traverse a safe vehicle?
By real-world driver deaths, the Chevrolet Traverse is one of the safest vehicles on the road for its driver. Its driver death rate of 12 per million registered vehicle years is 65% lower than the average, and it ranks 27th of 129 vehicles across all classes.
How does the Chevrolet Traverse compare with other SUVs?
It ranks 12th of 46 SUVs. The safest is the Chevrolet Tahoe 4WD, with a rate of 0.
Is the 2WD or 4WD Chevrolet Traverse safer?
The 4WD version had the lower driver death rate (2WD: 16, 4WD: 10). Their ranges overlap, so the difference may be down to chance.
Why is this different from the Chevrolet Traverse's crash-test rating?
Crash-test stars only compare vehicles of similar size and weight, so a 5-star small car and a 5-star SUV aren't equally safe. This ranking uses real-world driver death rates, which can be compared across every class.
* Driver deaths per million registered vehicle years. A registered vehicle year is one vehicle registered for one year.