How Safe is Your Car?

July 2007

Attention drivers – do you know how safe you are on the road? A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has found that despite the improvements seen in today’s vehicles, drivers are more reckless and careless than ever. Though motor vehicle deaths have decreased in the past ten years, drivers may actually be wearing their seatbelts less, speeding more, and driving under the influence.

That means picking the safest car is more important than ever. The IIHS found that automobile safety improvements have been the true cause of declining car accident deaths. Some of the best 2007 picks from the IIHS include:

Car safety was based on criteria such as 40mph frontal offset crash tests, bumper tests, side crash tests, and rear crash protection / head restraint ratings. This is the first year the IIHS has evaluated car performance including Electronic Stability Control (ESC), an option that helps to reduce the potential for single-car crashes.