It's not easy to put a price on safety, but it remains one of those things that most new car shoppers look for as intently as their favorite paint color or options package.
Safety is comprised of many aspects- so there's often no absolute answer as to whether "Vehicle X" will be a safer buy than "Vehicle Y", all things equal. Some vehicles do go above and beyond by offering advanced electronic driver aids that help prevent a crash from taking place, as well as a slew of features designed to protect those inside if an impact proves inevitable.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is responsible for helping consumers determine which vehicles are safe bets for them and their families, publishing information available as a brochure and website that helps point shoppers in the right direction.
According to the IIHS, safety involves avoiding crashes as well as providing protection in the case that a crash occurs. Features like brake assist, lane-departure warning systems and blind-spot monitoring are all marketed with the ability to reduce the likelihood of a crash- though most such systems haven't been scientifically evaluated.
Stability control is one exception- and the IIHS recognizes it for lowering the risk of a fatal single-vehicle crash by about half. It also lowers the risk of a fatal rollover crash by as much as 80 percent by helping to reduce or eliminate dangerous skidding. For added peace of mind, look for it on your next vehicle- but note that the same system is marketed under various trade names. Your dealership has more details.
No matter the gadgetry and features at play, crashes are sometimes unavoidable- so looking for a crashworthy vehicle is a good idea. A crashworthy car, truck or SUV is built with a structure and restraints that help reduce the risk of injury or death in an accident. At the very base of crashworthiness is a strong occupant compartment or safety cage for protection, as well as crumple zones to help dissipate crash energy in an impact.
In addition to the basic structure of a car, restraint systems play an important role. No longer just a simple combination of seat-belts and airbags, some restraint systems now have built-in functions like force-limiters, tensioners, and passenger detection systems. These all work towards increasing the efficiency of a given vehicles restraint performance in a crash, perhaps reducing the instances of seatbelt-related rib injuries or deploying the airbag at a precise rate for the occupant using it.
Some vehicles have all of the above-listed features, while some have few. Since not all machines are made the same, the IIHS carries out crash tests to determine how a person would fare in a real-life crash. Based on the results, the institute gives vehicles a rating from good to poor in a variety of crash situations.
The head-on, frontal crash was the 'original' crash test- which involved running a vehicle at 35 miles per hour into a rigid barrier. Many improvements were made to restraint systems because of this testing over the years, and as a result, most new cars get the top score of 'good' in this test. Be sure that's the case for any vehicle you're considering.
Safety is comprised of many aspects- so there's often no absolute answer as to whether "Vehicle X" will be a safer buy than "Vehicle Y", all things equal. Some vehicles do go above and beyond by offering advanced electronic driver aids that help prevent a crash from taking place, as well as a slew of features designed to protect those inside if an impact proves inevitable.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is responsible for helping consumers determine which vehicles are safe bets for them and their families, publishing information available as a brochure and website that helps point shoppers in the right direction.
According to the IIHS, safety involves avoiding crashes as well as providing protection in the case that a crash occurs. Features like brake assist, lane-departure warning systems and blind-spot monitoring are all marketed with the ability to reduce the likelihood of a crash- though most such systems haven't been scientifically evaluated.
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Stability control is one exception- and the IIHS recognizes it for lowering the risk of a fatal single-vehicle crash by about half. It also lowers the risk of a fatal rollover crash by as much as 80 percent by helping to reduce or eliminate dangerous skidding. For added peace of mind, look for it on your next vehicle- but note that the same system is marketed under various trade names. Your dealership has more details.
No matter the gadgetry and features at play, crashes are sometimes unavoidable- so looking for a crashworthy vehicle is a good idea. A crashworthy car, truck or SUV is built with a structure and restraints that help reduce the risk of injury or death in an accident. At the very base of crashworthiness is a strong occupant compartment or safety cage for protection, as well as crumple zones to help dissipate crash energy in an impact.
In addition to the basic structure of a car, restraint systems play an important role. No longer just a simple combination of seat-belts and airbags, some restraint systems now have built-in functions like force-limiters, tensioners, and passenger detection systems. These all work towards increasing the efficiency of a given vehicles restraint performance in a crash, perhaps reducing the instances of seatbelt-related rib injuries or deploying the airbag at a precise rate for the occupant using it.
Some vehicles have all of the above-listed features, while some have few. Since not all machines are made the same, the IIHS carries out crash tests to determine how a person would fare in a real-life crash. Based on the results, the institute gives vehicles a rating from good to poor in a variety of crash situations.
The head-on, frontal crash was the 'original' crash test- which involved running a vehicle at 35 miles per hour into a rigid barrier. Many improvements were made to restraint systems because of this testing over the years, and as a result, most new cars get the top score of 'good' in this test. Be sure that's the case for any vehicle you're considering.