A Guide to Buying a Safe Car

Automobiles are a hazard. Statistics aside, the fact remains that cars are heavy metal objects that are operated every day by people of all walks of life, the old, the young the smart, the stupid, the wise, and the downright foolish. These heavy pieces of metal are driven at high speeds and in close quarters. It stands to reason that of all these high speed metal objects navigating the roads every day, a few are bound to hit each other. If you should happen to be inside one of these vehicles at the time it hits another vehicle, of course, you don't want to get hurt. Here are some tips to choosing a car that will keep you safe.

To begin with, before even consulting sources such as Consumer Reports, ask around. What cars do your friends drive, and do they feel safe in them? If safety is a prime consideration, search online for car models that are reputed to be safe.

When you have a few possibilities in mind, get the safety ratings of each of them. Consumer Reports is a good source. They do many crash tests each year, driving cars at high speeds into walls, hitting cars from the sides with large car-shaped metal things, and generally simulating every sort of gruesome accident that might befall an unfortunate motorist. Each car that is tested is loaded with crash dummies, whose sensors provide feedback on what sorts of injuries might be sustained. Compare the cars you are looking at, and scratch any car that does poorly on the tests from your list.

What makes a car safe? There are, of course, a number of considerations. Design is a prime concern. All modern cars are designed with safety in mind, but some designs do better in accidents than others. Weight is another major consideration. As would be expected, when a great big heavy tractor trailer hits a tiny little Honda Civic, the Civic loses. However, don't think you have to buy a giant car. Many people think that to be safe they should buy some giant SUV, and then, of course, more people come along and think that, "Gee, if all these people are driving giant SUVs, I should go out and buy myself an even bigger one." This kind of logic leads to trouble, and won't do anything good for fuel economy. Buy a well designed small car.

Of course, as the saying goes, an ounce of protection is worth a pound of cure. For this reason, handling is another major factor to take into consideration. How is the steering? How are the brakes? How about the pick up? Do you feel like you are in control? These factors are just as important as crash test results. Cars that drive well get into fewer accidents than cars that don't, and do good things for your odds of survival.

And, of course, most importantly, DRIVE SAFELY! A dangerous car in the hands of a safe driver is much safer than a nice heavy, boxy Volvo in the hands of an idiot. Use common sense, and be safe.