How to Buy a Safe Vehicle: Part 2

In frontal and side impact tests, dummies are measured according to the forces to it's head, neck, chest and femurs. It is important to compare these crash test scores to get a better understanding of how strong your vehicle is in the event of an accident, including seat belts, air bags and head injury criteria (HIC) for frontal crash protection. The governement established that any HIC score above 1000 is unacceptable in a crash speed up to 30 mph. Howvver, HIC scores are typically shown below 700 (the lower the better). Chest scores that are measured in frontal crashes cannot reach a score over 60g's. In side impacts, chest scores are measured in a criteria of 85 TTI (d). Fairly safe vehicles give chest scores of about 40g's and 65 TTI (d).

A "star" rating is often used by the NHTSA and the IIHS, which more stars mean a safer vehicle. For more information on these safety ratings, visit www.safercar.gov/Safety+Ratings.

Since rollovers account for 25% of all fatal accidents, it is important to research the strength of your vehicle's roof. You can visit www.iihs.org/ratings/roof for more information on the strength to weight ratios.

We are at our greatest opportunity to buy a safe vehicle with all of the top-line safety features. Please do your research before deciding to buy a car, and do not let the dealer rush you into buying one without going over all the necessary features. Also, if you have enough money to get a rear view camera, get one!