How to Choose a Safe Car
Choosing a new car isnt just about choosing the latest model or choosing the car with all the bells and whistles but it should also be choosing the safest car possible for your budget. Not only does a safe car mean that you will be better off if you are in an accident but having a car with the latest safety features can mean discounts on your insurance rate. The two major safety features involve prevention, meaning how well a vehicle is designed to prevent an accident and crashworthiness, meaning how well a vehicle performs in a crash test.
A good resource in finding out what the safest cars are is checking with Consumer Reports Magazine. Consumer Reports magazine utilizes safety test results from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which performs full-frontal crashes and side-impact collisions and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which tests vehicles in an offset-frontal crash, a more common type.
Consumer Reports magazine uses the test results of these two agencies to compare 85 vehicles in terms of accident avoidance, crash protection and overall safety. Higher overall scores go to the models that have done well in accident avoidance and crash protection and can improve your chance of avoiding or surviving a crash.
According to Consumer Reports magazine, these are the safest cars on the market currently:
Upscale and large sedans.
The Lexus ES300, the Audi A4 and the BMW 330i topped the charts. The Buick LeSabre Limited and Chrysler 300M came in at the bottom of 14 vehicles tested in this category.
Family sedans.
The Volkswagen Passat GLX (V6) came in at number one, with the Toyota Camry XLE (V6) close behind. The four-cylinder Passat GLS, the Nissan Altima 3.5 SE and the Subaru Legacy also did well in this category. Safety dogs were the Pontiac Grand Prix GT, the Oldsmobile Alero and the Pontiac Grand Am.
Small cars.
Volkswagen also took top honors in the battle of the bantamweights. The VW Golf TDI came in at No.1. Close behind was the Honda Civic EX and the Volkswagen Jetta GLS TDI. Trailing in this category were the Hyundai Elantra GLS and the Chevrolet Cavalier LS.
Of course there are other safety features to consider. For example, potentially vulnerable individuals, such as women traveling alone, personal security in and around a stationary vehicle may be of great importance. The first level of safety, for any vehicle, is that your remote control, or key, should initially unlock one door only. If it can just unlock all of the doors simultaneously, there is always the risk that someone with evil intentions could enter the vehicle, or reach in and grab something, as you are getting in.
It is also important to remember that any vehicle is only as safe as the person driving it. So your first line of safety is to be an alert and safe driver.
About the Author: Have a fun and safe time on the road, and visit us to find the best deal on the auto insurance coverage you need. Get money-saving tips, cheap auto insurance quotes and helpful car insurance advice at www.AutoInsuranceRatesDirect.com today.
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