What are the Safest Cars on the Road?

Highway loop at night
What are the Safest Cars on the Road?

When it comes to purchasing a car, safety features are one of the most important things to consider. Automobile companies are rated annually to determine how safe their vehicles are. There are two agents that provide safety ratings for all vehicles.

These ratings are actually used by insurance companies to determine premium rates based on test results and the probability that a certain car may be involved in an accident. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) are the two agencies involved in rating vehicle safety.

How Are Cars Rated?

The NHTSA has been rating vehicles for over 50 years in an effort to keep consumers safe. The organization uses a five-star safety-ratings system, with one star being poor and five stars being excellent. NHSTA is unique because unlike different agencies that provide safety ratings, it rates the rollover resistance of a vehicle.

For the past 22 years, IIHS has been rating car safety on a scale from poor to excellent. It’s testing focuses on crashworthiness and how well a vehicle avoids crashes. The company looks over a very wide variety of different vehicle makes and models.

Safest Cars on the Road

The following vehicles earned high marks from the Insurance Institute, being awarded their highest rating.

Forbes reports that in the small vehicle category, the safest cars are:

  • Kia Soul

  • Kia Forte

  • Subaru WRX

  • Subaru Impreza

The midsize range vehicles that dominate the category are:

  • Subaru Legacy

  • Toyota Camry

  • Subaru Outback

  • Mercedes-Benz GLC

There are many categories listed in the report that Forbes puts out every year ranking the safety of different vehicles. Other notable mentions are the Lincoln Continental which is listed as a large luxury car category, along with the Hyundai Santa Fe which was top rated in the midsize SUV category.

Be sure to look at the safety rating of your car before you buy, keep your family and yourself safe behind the wheel.