Nothing beats the new car smell when you sit in a brand new car.
But how do you know how safe your new car will be if you are ever in an accident?
It is simple: before you buy a new car, research the crash rating tests for that vehicle and check for some important safety features.
The easiest way to check for safety of a model of car is to go to the government-sponsored web site, www.safercar.gov
Here you will find the results of safety tests for every model of car sold in the US through a simple search.
How do they rate auto safety?
Three tests are conducted and models are rated from one to five stars for each test with five being the best.
- The first test is for a head-on collision with a fixed barrier at 35 mph. To get five stars, the auto needs to have less than a 10% chance of serious injury to front-seat passengers.
- The second test measures a side impact crash with another automobile traveling 38 mph. To receive five stars, there needs to be less than a 5% chance of serious injury for any passenger.
- The last test is a rollover test since more than 10,000 people die of rollover crashes each year. Again, to get a five-star rating, there needs to be less than a 10% chance that any passenger will suffer serious injury during a rollover.
Finally, at the same site, you can see descriptions of the latest safety equipment you may want for your vehicle such as electronic stability control and side impact airbags.
Remember that wearing a seat belt reduces your chances of serious injury by up to 75% if you are in an accident.
All of us here at CoverLink wish you safe driving.
Photo by chermida