Buying vehicle with good ratings on
car safety tests will pay off

This article can help you confidently identify the vehicles meeting the best car safety tests. Information is provided to help determine which automobiles offer the most protection from injury and death during a frontal or side collision and to identify those vehicles most frequently stolen.

Safety sells

Auto-related deaths and injuries place a heavy load on society. In addition to causing grief and suffering, vehicle crashes add billions of dollars to the cost of health care and vehicle insurance.

Each year, some 40,000 Americans lose their lives in motor vehicle collisions. One in 8.5 drivers is involved in an automobile collision and one out of nine hospital beds is occupied by a victim of an auto-related incident.

Despite these grim statistics, the rate of traffic deaths per million miles driven is steadily declining. Vehicles meeting the best car safety tests get partial credit for the encouraging trend. Each new model must meet safety standards set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

As the car-buying public becomes increasingly interested in safety, manufacturers, are offering vehicles meeting car safety tests beyond NHTSA's minimum requirements. Though not yet required by law, features such as dual air bags increase a vehicle's sales appeal.

Buying tips

Make safety a priority

Look for vehicles meeting the best car safety tests. In addition, safety features such as air bags, anti-lock brake systems and side-impact protection should be tops of your list. Also check for important safety elements such as a right side mirror or a three-point safety belt system that has adjustable shoulder belt anchors.

A weighty decision

Crash data show that heavy cars offer more protection than light cars equipped with the same safety features.

Simple safety checks

During your test drive, make sure that head restraints, roof structure or windshield designs do not interfere with your visibility. Look for interior designs that avoid control knobs sticking out of the dash to reduce chance of injury. Check out clones. Clones are nearly identical models built on the same platform and marketed under a different nameplate. Prices and options vary. You could come out ahead buying the high-end model - with standard ABS and dual air bags - instead of the low-end model with those options added.

Vehicle ratings

The Importance of Crash Testing in car safety tests

Since 1979, NHTSA has been crash-testing vehicles through its New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Crash-test results determine how well vehicles protect belted drivers and front-seat passengers during a frontal collision.

During the crash test, dummies are placed in driver and front passenger seats. Instruments measure the force of impact to each dummy's head, chest and legs. Tests use all available restraints. Federal safety standards require all passenger cars meet injury criteria measured in a 30 mph frontal crash. NCAP tests are conducted at 35 mph to make the difference between vehicles more apparent. The car safety tests simulate damage equivalent to a head-on collision between two identical vehicles, each moving at 35 mph. This is the same as a vehicle moving at 70 mph striking an identical parked vehicle.

Interpreting the NCAP Car safety tests and their ratings

NHTSA recently revised NCAP crash-testing ratings to make them easier for consumers to understand. A five-star rating indicates the best protection and one star the least.

Crash-test ratings are meaningful only when comparing vehicles in the same weight class. Results do not reflect the extent to which an occupant in a light weight vehicle could be injured in a collision with a heavier vehicle. Visit the NHTSA for specific information on car safety tests.

Theft ratings

While car safety tests should be a major factor in your buying decision, theft ratings are equally important. Theft ratings are compiled from information provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and vehicle manufacturers. NHTSA calculates a theft rate for each vehicle based on the number of vehicles stolen and the number of vehicles manufactured.

NHTSA requires manufacturers to mark targeted vehicle parts with the vehicle identification number or provide a NHTSA-approved anti-theft device as standard equipment.

Many insurance companies offer discounts of 5 percent to 20 percent of the comprehensive portion of insurance premiums for vehicles equipped with an anti-theft device. Be sure to ask your insurance company if it offers all discounts for an anti-theft device.

Visit the NHTSA for specific information on vehicle theft ratings