One of the most important factors to consider is the survival ability of a car before purchasing it. Life is very precious and one should put safety first when choosing a car for purchase or hire. One can be the safest and most careful driver on the road and still get in an accident. For this reason, you should not be ashamed or hesitant getting a big machine for your family. A lot of research has been carried out on car safety and a lot of advancement has been done in terms of technology but the accident rate has been at its highest between 2018 and 2019.
Technology has come with some drawbacks which have increased accident numbers on our roads. This is because people text, call, play games, and search the internet while driving. Reduction of concentration on the road and driving while drunk have been one of the main causes of road accidents. Having been involved in a motor vehicle clash seek advice from car accident claims lawyers. However, the safety of a car is determined by several things as far as the model is concerned. Here are some of the crucial parts you should consider to find out if they fit your criteria for safety:
Roof strength
Strong roofs are ideal since they the reduce possibility of sustaining incapacitating injuries and fatalities. This aspect came into play with the 2008-09 model. A strong roof helps with shielding the occupants in case of a rollover since if it is a strong one, it will hold up during the rollover.
Side crashworthiness
A vehicle with, a side rating and airbags on the side are preferred since you will be assured of your head safety. A highly rated care in this area raises the chances of a driver surviving side injury in case of a driver-side crash. Car models developed between 2008 and the present have side airbags as standard equipment.
Frontal crashworthiness
A car with good ratings on this aspect protects the driver from these and limp injuries in case of a head-on crash.
Car weight
Weight is one of the biggest factors considered when rating the stability of a car when operating at high speeds or when destabilized on the road by an external force. A car whose weight ranges between 3500 lbs and 4500 lbs will remain safe after a collision, especially with smaller and lighter cars. Larger heavier cars offer smaller protection than smaller and lighter cars.
Head restraints
A safer car will have a good restraint/ seat rating which reduces whiplash injuries in case of a rear-end collision. It shields the head and specifically reduces the chance of sustaining neck injuries in such collisions. Ensure that your head restraint is correctly adjusted to fit your head.
Electronic stability control (ESC)
ESC standards were improved greatly in models made in 2012 with automatic ESC engagement and antilock brake technology. These features helped drivers be in control of their vehicles on slippery and curved roads.
Bearing the features to consider listed above, one should have them in mind when settling for a car purchase that fits and is safe for them and their family. Manufacturers are moving fast to fit their cars with features that are placing them on the safer vehicle side. The following are some of the safest cars you can consider purchasing:
Mercedes E-class Sedan
This car model won the IIHS Safety Pick award; it is loaded with highly innovative features ensuring safety and convenience on the road. It has a car-to-X communication for sensing potential hazards, the use of hazard lights / detected wheel sin, and the ability to alert other drivers of oncoming dangers. It is also known for its signature Aluminum high-strength body made of steel, wiprain-sensing wipersine-way airbag protection, and emergency call service.
Subaru Legacy
The car is equipped with an LED projector with high and low-beam headlights. Subaru legacy got a good rating after 6 crash tests and crash prevention tests rating although a small issue was noted on the dummy’s head. It has frontal and side curtain airbags which protect the occupants from side crashes and rollovers.
Tesla Model 3- IIHS
Gave this model a good rating since it has superb vehicle-to-pedestrian and vehicle-to-vehicle crash avoidance ratings. This car’s engine is not placed at its front hence the aluminum and steel material crumples first in case of an accident. The impact is therefore not transmitted to the occupants.
Toyota Camry
This model earned a five-star rating on safety rating in 2022. In its crash tests, it passed tests on its side crashes, frontal crashes, and rollovers. It has Toyota Safety Sense-P which has adaptive cruise control features which detect pedestrians near it, gives a forward collision warning and a lane keep assistant, and a warning when departing from the lane assistant. In addition, it had headlights with a high beam which meets the high safety set standards.
Volvo S60
One of its outstanding features is the child seat anchor which is easy to find and install but difficult to maneuver. In addition, it has an emergency brake system which is automatic, lane-departure warning, pedestrian detection, a warning of a potential forward crash, and road-departure warning.
Honda Accord- IIHS
Rated this car model highly since it has high performance in crash avoidance and prevention tests. In addition, it has great child-seat anchors and easy-to-find latch positions. The headlight beams are also highly rated since the headlights use halogen reflectors in place of LED reflectors common in most car models.
Lexus IS
This model began its journey of high ratings in 2017 after it modified its footwell and strengthened the front part of the car and the doors. This gave it high IIHS ratings in crash avoidance and prevention tests. Moreover, its standard headlights scored highly as compared to premium triple bean LED projector ones.
Final words
Different features of a car contribute to its safety rating in the car world. Some of the common features are based on how it senses crash potential dangers ahead, the nature of the car seat anchor, sensing when it leaves the lane or road and the type of airbags installed in it.