Top Safest Cars For 2010 You may have noticed that safety is a huge factor in car purchases. People remember to ask how the car they are considering rates for safety. The car dealer may give you a number that is one, two, three, or four out of five.

	However, do you really know what car safety ratings numbers mean? Let’s learn about ratings for the safest cars. National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) At http://www.nhtsa.gov/, you can access the official website of the National Highway Traffic Safety Association. The NHTSA began as an extension of the Highway Safety Act of 1970. Its purpose is to carry out safety programs, and the NHTSA is dedicated to helping prevent accidents through achieving and promoting the highest standards of excellence available in both motor vehicle safety and highway safety. Although predominantly a consumer awareness and education based agency, the National Highway Traffic Safety Association has excellent information on safety ratings and how safe cars really are. There is a section on the NHTSA website called Vehicle Safety. You can access the Vehicle Safety tab from the home page. There you will find studies, reports, and information on vehicle safety. You won’t just get a 4 out of 5 stars type of safety rating on a vehicle. Instead, through the National Highway Traffic Association, you can access safety related information for a particular vehicle including information on recalls, airbags, brakes, and tires. They also explain testing procedures and rankings in a clear and easy to understand way so consumers can understand why their vehicle’s Uniform Tire Grading Quality, or other procedures are important to the vehicle’s overall safety. IIHS – HDLI For Safest Cars IIHS stands for Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. HDLI stands for Highway Loss Data Institute. These two agencies work in conjunction with one another to provide safest car ratings. The Highway Loss Data Institute compiles accident reports and insurance data to publish loss reports for each particular vehicle. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is a non profit organization that uses HLDI data and their own data to help reduce loss such as death, injury, and property damage that occurs from crashes that take place on the nation’s highways. They also perform vehicle safety testing. While the IIHS does not test all cars, they do test those that are thought in the industry to be the top sellers for the year. The HDLI does collect information on all cars for their safety data, as the information is based not on predicted sales figures, but is instead based on insurance loss figures from actual vehicle crashes. Each year, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety publishes an annual Top Picks list. Top Safety Picks for 2010 from IIHS can be accessed here http://www.iihs.org/ratings/default.aspx/ You will find that the vehicles are arranged in easy to scan categories including Large Cars, Small Cars, Midsize Cars, Minivans, Midsize SUVs, and Small SUVs. Although the list is for 2010, you will find several 2011 vehicles are also rated as being safest cars. Among that list are the 2011 Toyota Sienna, 2011 Volvo C30, and the 2011 Kia Soul. A Few Safest Cars Reviewed 2011 Toyota Sienna IIHS ratings for the 2011 Toyota Sienna can be accessed at http://www.iihs.org/ratings/ratingsbyseries.aspx?id=422. If this vehicle interests you, you can access the official Toyota Sienna website at http://www.toyota.com/sem/sienna.html?srchid=K610_p312828067. The 2011 Toyota Sienna has the Star Safety System™ which includes Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Traction Control (TRAC). The Star Safety System™ also provides an Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Toyota’s Brake Assist technology. 2011 Kia Soul IIHS ratings for the 2011 Kia Soul can be found at http://www.iihs.org/ratings/ratingsbyseries.aspx?id=422. If this vehicle interests you, you can access the official Kia Soul website at http://www.kia.com/#/soul/explore/360-views-and-colors-exterior/?cid=sem&ppc=y/. Dual front seat mounted side airbags; full-length side curtain airbags, and front active headrest combine with the LATCH (low anchors and tethers for children) system and 3-point seatbelts for all 5 seating positions to create the Kia Soul’s safety system. 2011 Volvo C30 IIHS ratings for the 2011 Volvo C30 can be seen at http://www.iihs.org/ratings/ratingsbyseries.aspx?id=669. If this vehicle interests you, you can access the official Volvo C30 website at http://www.volvocars.com/us/all-cars/volvo-c30/tools/pages/offers.aspx. The Volvo C30 is best known for the Safe and Secure coverage plan which comes with car purchases. This car is so well revered among buyers that they have created the C30World website which you can access at http://www.c30world.com/. This enthusiast community has forums, web galleries, and photo, video, and multimedia presentations. Edmunds.com Safest Cars Reviews At http://www.edmunds.com/industry-car-news/2010-safest-cars.html, you can access the Edmunds.com top safety picks for 2010, which are based on the IIHS lists. However, at Edmonds.com, you can click on a photograph or the car name of the safest cars listed and be taken to a full review of the vehicle. Edmunds.com offers both an editor’s review written by their staff, with an overall number out of 10 rating for the vehicle. In addition, an added benefit of the Edmunds.com review website is that they allow community postings from users who have driven the vehicles. Users are able to write their own reviews and give a vehicle rating number as well. This approach to vehicle reviews allows you as a consumer to see what the experts have to say about the safest cars, as well as share real world experiences from drivers who have taken the time to share their thoughts on the car’s road experience. You may also find reviews for vehicles that are not on the IIHS top safety picks list for 2010. This is because Edmonds.com does not base their reviews on the top selling cars. However, each Edmonds.com review from the editors does address car safety issues and will provide you with ratings where applicable. Edmonds.com is considered a one stop destination for information on the safest cars, and every other aspect of vehicle performance by many. This is because they tell it to you straight, and allow consumers to weigh in with their own opinions even when they contradict what the Edmonds.com editorial staff has to say about a vehicle.

Bookmark/Share This Page: