Hybrid cars are 25% better at protecting motorists from injuries in accidents than their conventional counterparts, an insurance industry study agency reports.

That's largely because hybrids are heavier, and heavier, larger vehicles always have the winning edge in a collision with another vehicle.

"Weight is a big factor," says Matt Moore, vice president of the Highway Data Loss Institute and an author of the report. "Hybrids on average are 10% heavier than their standard counterparts. This extra mass gives them an advantage in crashes that their conventional twins don't have."

He notes that other factors, such as how, when and by whom hybrids are driven, also may contribute. We suspect that means they are bought disproportionately by relatively wealthy, older people who are generally careful drivers.

In the study, HLDI estimated the odds that a crash would result in injuries if people were riding in a hybrid vs. the conventional version of the same vehicle. The analysis included more than 25 hybrid-conventional vehicle pairs, all 2003-11 models, with at least one collision claim and at least one related injury claim filed under personal injury protection or medical payment coverage in 2002-10.