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BUYING A SAFER CAR
Buying a Safer Car can help consumers confidently identify the safest vehicles.
Information is provided to help determine which automobiles offer the most protection from
injury and death during a frontal or side collision and to identify those vehicles most
frequently stolen.
This brochure represents no endorsement of any particular vehicle. Information was
obtained from government agencies and vehicle manufacturers.
The guide is current as of Jan. 31, 1995.
USING THE GUIDE
Charts contain safety feature information, results from frontal crash tests and theft
ratings.
Safety feature information covers driver and passenger air bags, anti-lock brakes,
adjustable shoulder belt anchors for more comfortable safety-belt fit and, for passenger
cars, improved side-impact protection.
Features are shown as: S-standard equipment on all vehicles in that car line; N - not
available on any vehicle int hat car line; or A - available on some vehicles in that car
line.
Crash testing is expensive, so all vehicles cannot be tested every year. Cars, light
trucks, sport utility vehicles and vans that are new, popular, redesigned or have improved
safety equipment are selected for testing and bought from dealers.
Additional results for current models will be released at intervals throughout the
year. These vehicles are identified in the Crash Tests column as "to be tested." For
crash-test data on other vehicles tested since 1979, call Auto Safety Hotline: (800)424-
9393.
SAFETY SELLS
Auto-related deaths and injuries place a heacy load on society. In addition to
causing grief and suffering, vehicle crashes add billions of dollars to the cost of health
care and vehicle insurance.
Each year, some 40,000 Americans lose their lives in motor vehicle collisions. one
in 8.5 drivers is involved in an automobile collision and one out of nine hospital beds is
occupied by a victim of an auto-related incident.
Despite these grim statistics, the rate of traffic deaths per million miles driven is
steadily declining. Safer cars get partial credit for the encouraging trend. Each new
model must meet safety standards set by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration.
As the car-buying public becomes increasingly interested in safety, manufacturers,
are offering automotive safety features beyond NHTSA's minimium requirements. Though not
yet required by law, features such as dual air bags increase a vehicle's sales appeal.
SAFETY FIRST
No automobile is 100 percent safe or collision-proof. An experienced and unimpaired
driver is the most important safety features in any car. Never drive when you are:
Influenced by drugs or alcohol.
Ill or emotionally upset.
Fatigued - especially around your normal bedtime.
Keep your car in safe operating condition. Carefully read the owner's manual that
comes with your car and follow the manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedule.
Visually inspect tires, lights and fluid levels at each refueling. Make sure your spare
tire is inflated and pack a first-aid kit and flares in your trunk.
Make sure every person in your vehicle buckles up.
Correct and consistent use of safety belts is the best safety measure you can adopt.
BUYING TIPS
In 1994, the average cost of a car in the United States was $18,000. For a financial
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