Safest Cars for 2009   Why Choose The Safest Cars To Drive? Many people are interested in the list of safest cars available for purchase.  Safe cars allow individuals to travel from place to place with the security and peace of mind knowing they are not taking any unnecessary risks in their vehicle choice.  Additionally, safer cars may help them save money in the long run.  For example, safer cars are sturdier in their design and structure.  Sturdier cars will require less repair and subsequent costs, even in the event of an accident.  The safest cars to drive are often the most cost effective. What Makes The Safest Car So Safe? It is when the top ten safest cars, and indeed all the safest cars to drive available on the open market, receive high ratings on a number of categorical tests.  The winners in a list of safest cars need to receive higher scores than the cars they are competing against.  These tests ensure that if the car is in an accident, the passengers will be safer than they would be in any other vehicle.  This includes the driver, front passenger, and back passengers of the vehicle. Top Ten Safest Cars The top ten safest cars for 2009 include many models.  A number of categories and testing entities have their own list of safest cars.  Even within the category of cars, there are small or compact cars, medium sized cars, large cars, luxury cars, sports cars, and commercial cars.  However, the top 10 safest cars list compiles the best of the various top ten safest cars lists, the entity which ranked them, and why the entity believed the particular model was one of the safest cars available in 2009 car models. InternetAutoguide.com reveals that one of the safest cars to drive in the category of compact cars, ranking among the top 10 safest cars, is the 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer.  Other notable 2009 compact cars, which are among the safest cars to drive, are the Hyundai Accent and the Volkswagen Bug.  Despite their ratings, small and compact cars are still some of the most dangerous when compared to other cars. IIHS.com, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, discusses a number of safe midsize cars that vie for spots in the overall top 10 safest cars list.  Two Acura 2009 car models make the list, the Acura TL and the Acura TSX, as well as the Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Saab 9-3, and the Subaru Legacy.  The midsize convertible safe cars for 2009, as defined by IIHS, include the Volvo C70. When it comes to large luxury cars, IIHS.com takes special note of the Acura RL, Ford Taurus, and Mercury Sable.  According to Examiner.com, in an article discussing the safest cars of 2009, the top large luxury car is the Lincoln MKS.  Overall, SUVs, according to MSNBC.com, dominate the safest cars list with such vehicles as the Audi Q7, the Mitsubishi Outlander, the Volvo XC90, and the Saturn Vue. The Safest Cars Have Improved Since 2008 Small car safety has been one area of vast improvement since the 2008 models were released.  With the recent economic downturn, it is important to note that the only area of the automotive market, which is still growing in the United States of America, is the segment of small or compact cars.  The sales of all other vehicles have slowed.  Many consumers are known to avoid purchasing compact cars, largely because of the misconception that these vehicles are among the least safe cars that can be purchased, when it comes to 2009 models or any others.  However, in the Wall Street Journal, it is reported that small cars are much safer than they used to be.  They actually perform as well in safety testing operations as some other larger vehicles.  Small cars are now estimated to be as safe as midsize vehicles were approximately ten years ago.  Because of the implementation of strict federal and industry standards, the safety performance of small cars has significantly improved. While smaller cars are still at a disadvantage when it comes to accidents involving larger vehicles, there are a number of improvements that have been made.  New technological improvements in small cars include side curtain air bags, electronic stability controls, and sixteen to seventeen inch tires.  Many vehicles also include more sophisticated steering and better noise dampening.  As time goes on, researchers are still working on closing the gap between the safety of small vehicles and their larger vehicular counterparts. How Safe Cars Are Determined The safest cars need to endure a battery of tests to determine their worth and to prove their capabilities when it comes to safety.  Most of the top safest cars undergo the same tests, so the tests and scores are the same.  This helps lead to a stable understanding of crashes and the vehicles involved in them.  For example, the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety has a fairly large budget and can test a very large number of vehicles in controlled environments in order to determine their results.  Some of the tests performed include head on collisions and side impact crashes.  CrashTests.com discusses many of the tests performed on vehicles and their results. Who Determines The Safest Cars? There are a number of organizations and individuals who may believe they can determine the safety of a particular vehicle.  However, when it comes to the safest cars, most people are interested in what the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety has to say about particular models.  The IIHS is an independent, non-profit organization that works to reduce the losses of vehicular crashes on the highway.  They perform scientific and educational studies to help accomplish their goal.  The findings of their studies are published.  One of their most popular studies is their annual listing of the coming year’s safest cars.  In November of 2008, the IIHS revealed their list of the safest cars of 2009.  In addition to the safest car list, the IIHS also tests the safety of trucks, minivans, and SUVs.  The IIHS’ top safest cars are known for their unbiased tests and results, which many consumers trust and enjoy.