How Safe Is Your Car?

When you’re in the market for a new car a big consideration is how well it holds up in safety tests. Not only are you and your family more protected in accidents, driving a car with a safe design can also secure you lower monthly payments on your auto insurance.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has just announced its 2006 Top Safety Picks – a new designation in safety. According to Institute president Brian O’Neill, the new awards allow consumers to compare cars’ safety ratings more quickly and easily.

Previously the Institute rated vehicles separately based on test performances for front, side, and rear crashworthiness. This year, a vehicle that makes ‘Top Safety Pick’ has won the Institute’s top distinction in an overall assessment of all three tests.

Top Safety Criteria

To get the gold and silver awards, Top Safety Pick winners earn good ratings in front and side impact tests, and their seat/head restraints protect drivers against neck injuries in rear impacts. The Institute ranked vehicles according to size, because a car that is larger and heavier generally protects passengers better than lighter cars.

The majority of the 10 winners are newer vehicles, and all have side airbags that protect passengers’ heads.

None of the minivans tested this year earned Top Safety Pick honors. This doesn’t make minivans especially unsafe to drive over other vehicles, just that no designs currently meet the Institute’s top-most safety criteria.

How Is Safety Calculated Into Insurance Costs?

• Safety features. Many insurers offer discounts for vehicles that come equipped with safety devices.
• Design. A car with a safe design is more likely to survive a crash, and may be less costly to fix afterwards. Plus, the occupants are kept safer and are less likely to need hospital care that the insurance company would have to pay for.

2006 Top Safety Pick Winners*

Large
Gold: Ford Five Hundred and twin Mercury Montego
Silver: Audi A6

Midsize
Gold: Saab 9-3, Subaru Legacy
Silver: Audi A3, Audi A4, Chevrolet Malibu (with optional side airbags), Volkswagen Jetta, Volkswagen Passat

Small
Gold: Honda Civic

Minivans
No winners

*Pickups and SUVs weren't included in this round of awards.

Tip for buying auto insurance

Before you buy your next vehicle, call your insurance agent to see if any of your top choices are eligible for safety discounts.