A lot goes into buying a car. First there are the commercials; then the cars that catch your eye out on the road and then comes the internet search. While perusing the various makers and models that fit a Tennessee resident’s criteria, one of the biggest questions to ask is ‘Will I be kept safe in the event of an accident?’ One way to find an answer is to look into the ratings the car you’re looking at has scored on various different crash and performance tests.
Being an informed driver is one of the best things someone can do to prevent an accident – and that includes being informed about all aspects of driving. In a recent report detailing the findings of the Institute for Highway Safety’s latest crash test scores revealed that cars of a certain category (midsized family vehicles in this test) may not be as safe in a crash as some would think. The curve-breakers would be the Honda Accord and Suzuki Kizashi; both scoring the top spot of “Good.” The lowest? Toyota Camry and Toyota Prius v with scores of “Poor.”
The tests administered were reported to be focused on the impact of the crash to the car’s body and damage from front, sides, and rear, the damage done to the dummy inside the car and where their injuries would be, would it have been a real person. Other aspects of the cars tested were the safety features, including airbags and safety belts. An interesting note made in the report was that the most damage seemed to commonly occur to the legs of the dummies in lower-ranking vehicles.
For Tennessee residents who are looking at buying a car, this study may be of service to see where yours would rank. Should someone who has been in an accident find that their vehicle had a malfunction or improperly working mechanism that led to the accident or injury, working with an attorney to understand fully what options are available to you may help. As safe as we can learn how to be on the roads, the safety that our vehicles offer us is just as important.
Source: examiner.com, “Honda Accord, Suzuki Kizashi lead in new crash test; Toyota Camry, Prius v fail,” Brady Holt, Dec. 20, 2012