U.S.-based traffic safety organization names the safest models on the road

Several automakers are hailing the results of a study that details which are the safest ones on the road.

According to Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the Toyota Sienna, Ford Edge, Land Rover LR3, Land Rover Ranger Rover Sport, Nissan Armada, Audi A6 and Mercedes E-Class were deemed to be the safest models based on the number of driver deaths per million vehicles registered.

The IIHS arrived at the findings after analyzing crash data occurring in the U.S. between 2006 and 2009. Only models with at least 100,000 registered vehicle years were considered.

In addition to specifying the safest models, the IIHS was also able to determine what type of cars had the lowest death rates. Thanks to the electronic stability control that comes standard in most sport utility vehicles, the SUV was one of them.

"The rollover risk in SUVs used to outweigh their size/weight advantage, but that's no longer the case, thanks to ESC," said AnneMcCartt, vice president of research for the IIHS.

The minivan had the best record for driver death rates, however, with just 25 per million registered.

Vehicle safety also carries over to drivers car insurance rates. The Insurance Bureau of Canada says auto insurance companies generally consider the type of vehicle policyholders drive when assessing rates, as some models are more capable of sustaining damage.