How To Read Car Safety Ratings

You hear it all the time…"5-Star car safety rating"… "superior car safety rating"…Terms like this are used by car dealerships all the time. But what exactly does it mean? And how does it impact your decision to buy a car?

We all want the best - and safest deal for our money. And everywhere we turn we hear something about car safety ratings. Is it bad if you don't get that car with five stars or a rating of good? If you buy the best rated vehicle, is there a guarantee you and your passengers will survive a crash? Unfortunately, no matter how high your car rates, there are no guarantees! Survival of a crash depends on many things, such as types of vehicles involved, driving ability, speed and of course, safety features.

But Exactly What Are Car Safety Ratings?
Car safety ratings are just that - a way to compare vehicle safety after different crash tests. But there a few key points you need to understand. For instance, these tests are done on vehicles in the same class, which means a small efficiency car is not matched up to a big sports utility. Generally, the bigger and heavier the car, the safer you are. But good ratings on a small car still improves you odds since according to the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), at least half of occupant fatalities in 2003 were due to a single vehicle collision.

There are also different types of tests, each with their own rating, so a general understanding of the types and ratings of the tests will help you make an educated decision when buying your next vehicle.