Compare Safety Ratings for Cars

If you are shopping for a new car, and you want to compare the safety ratings of various makes and models, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has a website that allows you to make such a comparison. The NHTSA rates the safety of cars based on their ability to protect you in the event of a either a frontal or side crash. There is also a rating for resistance to rollover and an overall vehicle safety score that makes it easy for consumers to compare cars. The highest rating in each category is five stars.

The “Compare Safety Ratings” tab on the NHTSA website allows you to do a direct comparison of the safety ratings of any two cars. When you click on this tab, you will be prompted to enter the make, model and year of the two cars in which you are interested. After you enter this data, you click “GO” and the safety data for the two cars will be displayed on one page. For example, if you want to compare the safety ratings of the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze and the 2013 Honda Civic, you enter the respective makes, models and years, and when you click “Go,” the safety comparison page will appear. You will see that the Cruze four Door, front wheel drive and the Honda Civic four door, front wheel drive versions both have a five star overall safety rating. You will also see that the Cruze gets five stars for frontal crash safety, but the Civic gets only four stars.

Once you have made your new car purchase, you need to be sure that you have adequate auto insurance protection in the event of an accident. If you are uncertain about your level of protection, you should contact your car insurance agent, and he or she will be able to set up an appropriate auto policy.

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