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Recent developments in alloys and car design have made smaller cars progressively safer over the last two decades. Whether larger cars are safer than smaller models begs the question as to which models are the safest, and whether there is an appreciable difference at all. The fact is, however, that larger, heavier cars remain safer than their smaller companions.
What Makes Larger Cars Safer
It doesn’t take an understanding of engineering or physics to understand why larger, heavier cars are inherently safer than smaller models. Larger cars have greater mass, and can take more punishment before their heavier bodies collapse under the strain of a collision. There is more mass between the passenger compartment and the object the vehicle hits, thus making it more difficult for the passenger cabin to be damaged in such an impact. Of course, larger cars can afford the extra mass more than smaller models, which rely primarily on their fuel efficiency to bolster their sales. Until recently, the choice between fuel economy and safety was one that many people were forced to make all too often. As a result, many people ended up with cars that weren’t the safest cars to drive. Of course, the list of the safest cars isn’t a long one, and testing from both government labs and private industry keeps the list regularly updated with the latest information for each model year.
Making a car safer used to involve adding significant weight to a vehicle. While it’s true that adding mass can help a vehicle be safer, newer car models don’t have that disadvantage. Crumple zones, higher-strength alloys used in chassis construction, and more rigid frames all increase the safety of a vehicle, and most of those methods don’t add much weight. The safest cars to drive nowadays aren’t always the largest, and certainly options such as SUVs aren’t always safer, though they do offer the illusion of increased safety.
Safety Ratings
While safety ratings from entities such as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration provide an excellent basis for comparison of the relative safety of vehicles within a certain class of vehicle, when comparing vehicles to others outside their weight or size class, the ratings mean very little. The Royal Automobile Club of Queensland, in Australia, has concluded after years of studying and testing over 200 separate vehicles that larger vehicles are inherently safer, regardless of individual safety ratings. Their study is based upon actual vehicle crashes, not lab tests, and for that reason, their results are often dismissed by industry insiders who prefer controlled tests to real-life data.
Who Should Buy Bigger
Of course, the size of the car a buyer wants isn’t always determined by safety concerns. Often, the look of the vehicle and the performance specs are far more important to a buyer than crash survivability. For that reason, many car makers have begun incorporating integrated safety features even into their sportiest vehicles. Even sports cars often have integral crumple zones to soften impacts, as well as airbags and multi-point restraints. The mix of vehicle survivability and passenger safety is making such vehicles increasingly popular among buyers. Of course, anyone who needs to cart around a vehicle full of children or soccer equipment will need to look into a much larger vehicle. The safety for the family is certainly an important factor, and since larger cars are apparently the safest cars around, it’s a great idea to sacrifice a bit of fuel economy instead of giving up the extra safety. Regardless of the reasons behind finding the safest cars to drive, having a car that is one of the safest cars on the road certainly has its advantages.
Safe Small Cars
Of course, small cars have come a long way in the past few years, and it’s not unusual to see a few of them on the “Top 5 Safest Cars” list that some magazines put out annually. The list of safest cars that many publications publish annually is a great place to start a search for a new car if safety is a primary concern. Some small cars, such as the Subaru Impreza, for example, and the Saab 9-2X rank among the safest cars on the road. Even the Prius gets good safety grades when optional airbags are added. However, without the optional side airbags, the Prius ranks among the worse small cars in terms of passenger safety. The Honda Civic was tested, and showed promise as the safest small car on the road. The Civic offers a very rigid body, crumple zones to mitigate impact velocities, and both front and side airbags, which catapult the car into the category of a “Gold Top Safety Pick” from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The Honda Civic gets up to 42 miles per gallon, and remains one of the safest cars on the road. Consumers so appreciate the mix of safety and economy that they have made the Civic one of the most popular small cars on the road today.
Regardless of the reasoning behind the search for a new car, one of the most important decisions that a buyer can make is which features they find to be essential. Since heavier cars are, by nature, safer than their lighter cousins, if safety is a major concern, it’s entirely possible that fuel economy will have to be sacrificed. Thankfully, car companies are working tirelessly to make their smaller, more fuel-efficient cars safer all the time, while they’re improving the fuel economy of their larger, safer offerings. Eventually, the car companies will find the right mix between the two to offer extremely safe cars that are able to handle the stresses needed to keep their passengers safest. Until then, though, customers will have to use their best judgment when purchasing a car.
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