While some people care more about looks and speed, for many people, their top priority by far when buying a new car is safety. You want peace of mind that you are not actively endangering yourself or your loved ones when you are on the roads.
With both distracted driving and drunk driving continuing to be a serious problem, and with more cars on the roads as the summer driving season gets ready to kick off, it’s essential to think about safety when making a new purchase. But with so many options available and so many different places to check out safety ratings, how do you choose?
4 important factors to consider
While it’s easy to cast wide statements about certain models of cars, such as saying “SUVs are safer,” the reality is you will need to dig a little deeper. Here are the four important things you need to consider when evaluating a car’s safety:
- Crash test results: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety both conduct rigorous crash tests on all types of makes and models. How does the vehicle hold up in a head-on collision? If it rolls over, will the roof cave in too easily?
- Vehicle weight: In short: the heavier the vehicle, the better. According to many crash tests, heavier vehicles perform much better than smaller vehicles.
- Center of gravity: However, you also need to consider how high the vehicle sits. This may mean even though a truck or SUV is heavier, it may also be more likely to roll over than a station wagon. In general, vehicles lower to the ground are less likely to roll over.Wider trucks and SUVs that sit higher off the ground will be less likely to roll over than narrower, taller vehicles.
- Age: Manufacturers have made incredible advances in safety technology in recent years. Automatic braking, emergency collision avoidance systems, and stronger steel have helped vehicles better avoid or withstand collisions.
You can’t control everything
While you can keep the above factors in mind, it’s also important to remember that not every vehicle is 100 percent safe. With more drivers on the road in Pennsylvania this summer, it’s also likely there will be more drunk and distracted drivers as well. Additionally, a new vehicle could have been manufactured poorly.
Should you or a loved one be hurt in an accident, it’s important to explore all your options for acquiring the compensation you deserve for your medical bills, lost wages and any pain and suffering.