The subject is generally grouped into two areas: active safety and passive safety. Active safety refers to features or attributes that might allow you to avoid an accident; passive safety refers to features or attributes that help protect occupants during (or right after) a crash.
In the scope of automotive history, the focus on safety is a relatively recent one. Fifty years ago, relatively minor accidents could leave occupants mortally wounded; and even a decade ago, occupant safety wasn’t nearly the priority that it is for today’s new-car shoppers.
In the U.S., crash-test programs have driven occupant protection rapidly since the 1990s. While the federal New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) has overseen crash-testing of vehicles since 1979, the insurance-funded Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has also been crucial. It began crash-testing and rating new vehicles in 1995. Since then it’s added side impact, rear impact (seat), and roof strength tests, as well as a new small-overlap frontal test. In order to provide more useful information for shoppers, the NCAP tests and ratings were revised in 2010.
Frontal-impact occupant airbags were first introduced in the 1970s, but they didn’t become widely offered in luxury cars until the 1980s and most mass-market models until the 1990s (they were required by 1998). Side-impact airbags were introduced in luxury cars in the 1990s, then made it into most mass-market models by the middle of this past decade; they were required by 2009, with a later phase-in of head-protecting airbags.
Electronic stability control has been another critical life-saving feature—especially in reducing the number of rollover-related fatalities. And in more recent years, a host of active technologies—ranging from lane-departure systems to blind-spot systems to those that help warn if you’re drowsy—have added to driver safety. Some even help brake the vehicle or nudge it back on course.
In this age of more rakish designs—and with a much wider range of vehicle sizes, shapes, and packages than in the past—outward visibility has become an important issue. In some vehicles, camera systems help make up for this in parking, although visibility still might make lane changes more difficult. Additionally, the way in which a vehicle steers, brakes, and even accelerates can play a role in safety, as well as how it rides over certain road surfaces.
Driver distraction remains one of the top safety issues of the day, which has led to much debate over whether advanced vehicle interfaces that allow easier, integrated hands-free communication increase or decrease overall safety.
In the future, so-called driverless car projects could permit enhanced safety by essentially automating the act of driving while in gridlock or on a commute.
Good news for family car buyers who need a little more space to transport people and gear: the 2014 Honda Odyssey just earned the Top Safety Pick+ designation from the... read more August 28, 2013 by Suzanne Kane
Safety sells. We know that wasn't always the case; but in today's market, the majority of new-car shoppers do value how well a car will protect them in a crash—or how... read more August 26, 2013 by Bengt Halvorson 1
Jeep's Grand Cherokee nameplate has been drawing lots of media attention lately -- not all of it good. The Grand Cherokee found itself at the center of a contentious recall... read more August 26, 2013 by Richard Read
Yesterday, we told you about the Tesla Model S -- a car so safe, it broke the equipment that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration uses to gauge safety. General... read more August 21, 2013 by Richard Read
If you're in the market for a new car and safety is your biggest concern, stop reading here and head down to the nearest Tesla (NSDQ:TSLA) showroom gallery for a look at the... read more August 20, 2013 by Richard Read 2
Not sure which small-car model is best for you? If safety is one of your priorities you might want to give the Honda Civic, or perhaps the Dodge Dart, a boost on your list of... read more August 7, 2013 by Bengt Halvorson 2
We've spilled a lot of virtual ink over vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-grid communications. Both are promising technologies that could substantially reduce the number of... read more July 26, 2013 by Richard Read 2
Are we imagining things, or are automakers really stepping up to the plate when it comes to safety technology? It seems as if every other day, another company debuts an... read more July 22, 2013 by Richard Read
It’s only mid-July and already 21 children under the age of five have died from heatstroke in parked cars across America. Child safety advocacy groups urge parents and... read more July 21, 2013 by Suzanne Kane
The 2014 Chevrolet Impala has earned the federal government's top five-star Overall Rating in the U.S. New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). It's the third Chevrolet sedan in... read more July 19, 2013 by Bengt Halvorson
Chrysler is recalling certain 2014 model year Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs to fix an electrical problem that may turn off parking lights. A notice on the National Highway Traffic... read more July 17, 2013 by Suzanne Kane
Chrysler is recalling certain 2013 Ram 1500 pickup trucks to fix a software glitch that may disable the stability control system. A notice on the National Highway Traffic... read more July 17, 2013 by Suzanne Kane
In some kinds of frontal crashes, the 2013 Toyota RAV4 might not provide nearly the level of occupant protection as a Honda CR-V or Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. New Insurance... read more July 12, 2013 by Bengt Halvorson
No doubt about it: Volvo has had a rough couple of years. After being sold to Chinese automaker Geely in 2010, the brand has struggled to regain its footing. Whether that's... read more July 10, 2013 by Richard Read 5
Last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that, beginning in 2014, all cars sold in the U.S. will be required to have rearview cameras. The goal... read more June 18, 2013 by Richard Read 1