The 13 Safest Vehicles in a Car Accident

Testing the Safety of Cars — Roseville, CA — Frank Penney Injury Lawyers

Read the blog from Frank Penney Injury Lawyers in Roseville, CA below.

Every year, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) releases their IIHS Top Safety Picks after the cars are graded on several metrics. Chosen vehicles are proven to provide excellent protection in the event of a car accident. For 2013 models, the Top Safety Pick+ award went to 13 vehicles, with 117 additional cars earning Top Safety Pick praise.

How the Safest Cars are Tested

In order to receive the prestigious IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award, cars must undergo testing that includes:

Moderate overlap frontal crash
Small overlap frontal crash (introduced in 2012)
Side impact
Rollover
Testing of seat/head restraints for protection against neck injuries in rear-impact car accidents

Each test provides different real-life crash scenarios and measures potential damage to both the driver and passengers, including; head-on collision, corner collision, side collision, rear collision, and rollover. Injury measures include looking at the crash test dummies’ head/neck, chest, leg/foot as well as measuring the amount of safe space.

The tested cars are assigned a score of good, acceptable, marginal, or poor based on passenger safety performance. Of the five tests that are performed, the winning cars earned good ratings in at least 4 of our 5 tests with no less than acceptable in the fifth test. Sacramento car accident attorney Frank D Penney suggests that you research any vehicle’s safety rating before making a purchase, and trust the expertise of the IIHS.

2013 Safest Passenger Vehicles

This year's top safety list includes mid-sized vehicles, both moderately priced and luxury:

Chrysler 200 4-door
Dodge Avenger
Ford Fusion (post-Dec 2012)
Honda Accord (both 2 and 4 doors)
Kia Optima
Nissan Altima 4-door (post Nov 2012)
Subaru Legacy (post-Aug 2012)
Subaru Outback (post-Aug 2012)
Suzuki Kizashi
VW Passat (post-Oct 2012)
Acura TL
Volvo S60

According to the IIHS, car accident figures have steadily been going down since 1975. Vehicle manufacturers have greatly increased safety features and passenger restraint devices. Accident prevention is the best thing that you can do for your family, and the vehicle you drive has a lot to do with it. If you find yourself in need of legal advice or are unsure of your rights as a vehicle passenger, contact car accident attorney Frank Penney today.

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