Top Picks For Safest 2012 Cars

No one wants to think about being involved in a road traffic accident as a passenger or driver of a car but unfortunately this could affect anyone who is in a car at any time. While you can certainly be responsible for how safely you are driving you should also be responsible and choose a car that is known to be safe. If you know that the car that you have chosen has managed to achieve good safety ratings you will have added peace of mind when you are out driving. So what are the safest cars for 2012 and how are they tested?

How Is A Car Safety Tested?

All cars are safety tested to the exact same standards as each other during crash tests to ensure that all tests are fair and equal. The National Highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) and the insurance Institute for Highway safety (IIHS) both crash test cars in order to find out how safe they are. By conducting these tests the NHTSA are able to ensure that manufacturers are sticking to safety standards and in some cases the results of the tests are used by manufacturers to further improve car safety.

The IIHS will also safety test cars and their findings will be used to determine the cost of insuring a particular type of vehicle. If you decide to purchase one of the safest cars currently available you will notice that the cost of your auto insurance will be lower than a car with a lower safety rating. As you can see both of these testing agencies are working to help car manufacturers and car owners to create safer cars which are more reliable and cheaper to insure.

When the crash tests are being undertaken by the NHTSA or the IIHS the same type of crash test dummy will be used, this is the Hybrid III model. Every care is taken to ensure that the crash test simulation is as life like as possible in order to replicate what happened to a person in the car if it was involved in a crash. The dummies that are used to show where a person could be flung when hit while sitting in various parts of the car wearing a seatbelt.

To simulate real life crashes cars will have impacts from the front, the side and the rear. They will also be subjected to a roll test where the strength of the roof will be tested. After all of these crashes have been tested the results will be analyzed and a car will then be safety related. So as you can see if you are keen to find the safest cars you need to pay attention to this testing.

Chevrolet Sonic 2012

The Chevrolet Sonic 2012 has been rated as one of the safest cars by the IIHS and it has some of the best crash test results of any of the new cars for 2012. The Sonic is fitted with airbags at the side, stability control and traction control. These last two features will help the car to stay on all four wheels in the event of an impact and prevent it from rolling onto its roof. However should the Chevrolet Sonic roll onto its roof it is able to support 5.7 times its weight which is certainly a plus point.

To check out the Chevrolet Sonic and find out more about its safety features as well as other features take a look at the Chevrolet website which is here: http://www.chevrolet.com/sonic-small-cars/.

Audi A6

Next comes the Audi A6 which has greatly improved on its safety rating from 2011.
This car is fitted with many different safety features such as adaptive headlights which will turn when the wheel does in order to illuminate curved roads after nightfall and forward collision warning. This uses smart cruise control which involves radar sensing when a car is too close in front. When this happens the car will automatically think that a crash could occur and it will start to apply the brakes.

In rollover tests the Audi A6 was able to withstand 4.9 times its own weight on its roof which shows just how strong the roof of this car is. If you are a fan of Audi’s and you want to see if this is the safest car for your needs take a look at it in greater detail on the Net Car Show website: http://www.netcarshow.com/audi/2012-a6/.

Volkswagen Passat

As usual the Volkswagen Passat is achieving the same high safety rating as the previous year’s model. The Passat is equipped with front and side airbags that will be quick to respond in the event of a crash as well as stability control that can prevent the car from rolling over. To give drivers further reassurance in emergency situations where they are likely to panic the Passat also features an emergency braking assist system which will allow them to brake quickly.

All of these safety features are pretty impressive and show why the Volkswagen Passat is one of the safest cars around for 2012. The test result however that really stood out from the rest was the result from the rollover test. The Volkswagen Passat was able to handle a massive 6.3 times its own weight when it was on its roof which is no mean feat.

To check out the Passat and many more of the highly rated safest cars that got wild and produced take a look at their website which is located here: http://www.vw.com/en.html.

Check Out Safety Information

Edmunds.com®

On the Edmunds.com® website you will be able to find out information on how any car performed in safety tests. In addition to this you can take a look at reviews of the safest cars currently on the road and more. Using the website is simple and straightforward just select the make and model of the car that you are interested in and then view it. You can find this website here http://www.edmunds.com/.