The Safest Cars In USA

By: Terje Ellingsen

Which cars are the safest cars in the United States, you may wonder. Is it BMW, Ford, Chevy? As far as car security matters, only eight of the 2004 model cars on the market have earned perfect scores in crash tests conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Here are the criterias: To pass the auto security test, the vehicle had to get perfect marks in all of the following categories:

five-star ratings--the highest available--in NHTSA's frontal
and side vehicle crash tests

five-star rollover resistance ratings

or

ratings of "good," (highest available), which includes an overall rating,plus individual ratings in the following categories:

The frontal offset crash test structure/safety cage

head/neck injury measures

chest injury measures

left and right leg/foot injury measures

restraints/dummy kinematics

ratings of "good" for head restraint design and the performance of bumpers in low-speed auto crash tests.

Side impact auto crash tests were also conducted for all vehicle brands but no car received perfect marks in those tests.

According to automotive experts, vehicle crash testing is still the best and most objective method for determining which cars are truly the safest. And this does not necessarely mean vehicles equipped with most advanced technology. The difference between a good auto crash test rating and a bad one is significant:

A five-star rating means a chance of serious injury of 10% or less in a car crash at 35 mph

a one-star rating means a chance of 46% or more.

The list might amaze you. Here are the 8 safest motorcars in USA in 2004:

Audi A4

Ford Crown Victoria

Lincoln Town Car

Mercury Grand Marquis

Mercury Marauder

Toyota Corolla

VW New Beetle

Volvo S80

About the Author



Terje Brooks Ellingsen is a writer and internet publisher and runs http//www.cheap-used-cars.w-eland.com. Terje gives advice and helps people with automotive issues like online used car sales, see http//www.cheap-used-cars.w-eland.com/buy_used_cars.htm and cheap auto insurance, see http//www.cheap-used-cars.w-eland.com/cheap_car_insurance.htm