Staff of Safe Car Guide

SafeCarGuide.com Staff

Auto broker Sam Alessi, in the field for 33 years, has held every job there is in the wholesale and retail automobile business.

Safety advocate, automotive journalist and transportation enthusiast Mark Theobald has owned over 100 vehicles, and publishes a variety of automotive-related websites. "Safety should be your first consideration when you think about buying a car."

Sam Alessi writes: I met Mark Theobald nine years ago. At that time I was a fleet and leasing manager of a Ford dealership in New York. He had come to see me by referral and was helping a friend decide what type of car to buy or lease. I was very impressed with his knowledge of both the automobile industry and the vehicles themselves. He had a very broad and unbiased knowledge of safety features, mileage ratings, crash-test results, parts and service availability, cost of ownership, finance, warranty and many other facets of the automobile industry. Even then he showed a strictly unbiased approach as to what factors one should consider when buying or leasing a vehicle, either new or used. Since then I have had the privilege of traveling around New York State with Mark as we went to many new and used automobile dealerships and many varied auto auctions together as I conducted my business. I have been in the automobile business for over thirty years in every capacity from car jockey to fleet, lease, sales and rental management of multi-carline auto franchises. As long as I have been in the automobile business, I have never met anyone who keeps abreast of all the new things happening in the industry as well as Mark does. This man knows cars as well as anyone I know. I trust his opinion implicitly. You should too.

Before you try to contact us - please see if your question has already been answered by reviewing the introduction and category explanations which are accessible from every page. 99% of the questions we receive have already been answered somewhere on the site. If you're still puzzled please review our Frequently Asked Questions below.

Frequently Asked Questions:

I have a question regarding a specific crash-test - Questions about specific tests need to be addressed to the respective testing agencies which are listed below, not us. Keep in mind that SafeCarGuide.com only reports on other agencies test results. We don't do any testing ourselves, so we can't legally answer any questions about those tests.

Agencies that crash-test vehicles include the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the European New Car Assessment Program (EuroNCAP), the Australian New Care Assessment Program (ANCAP),and the Japanese National Organization For Automotive Safety and Victim's Aid (OSA).

Other groups and agencies that publish safety data include (listed by country):

AUSTRALIA
Australian Automobile Association | How Safe Is Your Car | Vehicle Design and Research Pty Limited | VicRoads

CANADA
Transport Canada

DENMARK
Danish Transport Council

FINLAND
The Finnish National Road Administration/Finnra Today | Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT)

FRANCE
The French National Institute for Transport and Safety Research

GERMANY
Auto Motor und Sport Magazine | ADAC | Crashtest Servce

HONG KONG
Hong Kong Department of Transport

INTERNATIONAL
Federation International de Automobile (FIA) | Research Council for Automobile Repairs | World Health Organization (WHO)

NETHERLANDS
ESV Conference 2001
TNO Automotive Crash Safety Centre

SINGAPORE
Center for Transportation Research

SWEDEN
Folksam | National Society for Road Safety | Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute

UNITED KINGDOM
United Kingdom Department of Transport
Highways Agency

For more detailed information on offset crash tests please read these research papers by safety expert Michael Paine: 1. Consumer Crash Tests: The Elusive Best Practice 2. Offset Crash Tests 3. Guidelines for Crashworthiness Rating Systems

I can't decide between two similar vehicles, can you tell me which one is the better choice? No - we are a small organization and do not have the resources.

Why isn't the information complete for every car? This can happen because not every test is performed on every car, and some vehicles are not tested at all (particularly low-production high-priced sports and luxury cars). We don't do any testing ourselves. You can search the databanks from which we get the information by clicking on the year & model of the vehicle or by going to our Links page.

Can SafeCarGuide.com send me a detailed report on a specific vehicle I may be interested in purchasing? No - we are a small organization and do not have the resources.

Can I buy DVD's or videos of crash-tests from SafeCarGuide.com? No - we don't perform any tests and consequently don't have rights to any crash footage. Try contacting the NCAP agencies or insurance groups listed on our links page, as they are the ones who do the testing and may have products available.

Can SafeCarGuide.com assist me with my research project or school assignment? No - we are a small organization and do not have the resources. However we do allow students and researchers to reprint our explanations and data providing they give us credit.

Two vehicles I'm interested in received the same safety ratings, can you tell me which vehicle is safer? No - we are a small organization and do not have the resources.

Can I link my website to SafeCarGuide.com? Yes, we encourage other sites to link to us, no special permission is required. Link to http://www.SafeCarGuide.com

Can I use SafeCarGuide.com data on my commercial website? Yes, we encourage other sites to use our data, all that we require is a hyperlink (text or banner) and credit, for example - "Explanations and Data courtesy of SafeCarGuide.com".

Why aren't there any results for Skoda? The Euro-NCAP haven't tested any Skodas yet.

Can I use the Volkswagen results to predict how well Skodas would perform in a crash-test? No, although Skoda is owned by Volkswagen AG, there is a substantial difference between Volkswagens and Skodas, so results for VW's cannot be used for Skoda.

Can SafeCarGuide.com recommend a specific vehicle for me? No - we are a small organization and do not have the resources. Such requests will go un-answered.

Will SafeCarGuide.com help me with an insurance investigation, claim or lawsuit? No - we are a small organization and cannot get involved in legal disputes.

Why are there blank spaces (or white squares)? We leave the space blank when we don't have data to fill it. This can happen because not every test is performed on every car, and some vehicles are not tested at all (particularly low-production high-priced sports and luxury cars).

Why are there little c's on my screen or printout where the white squares are indicated? The c's are placeholders which allow some browsers and video cards to accurately view the page. When your print out the crash-test charts they usually appear on the printout. We haven't developed a solution that works for everyone, let us know if you have any ideas.

Why doesn't SafeCarGuide.com conduct its own tests? Crash-testing is very expensive, and our humble resources wouldn't cover the cost of a single vehicle, much less the expensive data collection equipment and personnel required. In the US, federal tax dollars finance NHTSA vehicle testing, while automobile insurance premiums help to pay for the IIHS testing program. In Europe, the FIA seeks sponsors from its members for specific testing programs. The Japanese and Australian programs are financed by their respective governments through taxation.

Do airbags make a vehicle safer? Airbags have substantially increased the safety of modern automobiles, but 13 years ago only Mercedes-Benz offered them as standard equipment on every model. Volvo, Saab, BMW, and Audi soon followed Mercedes' lead but American and Japanese manufacturers took quite a long time (1998) to introduce them as standard equipment on every US model automobile (1999 for SUVs, trucks, and vans). Front airbags deploy instantly in a full-width frontal or frontal offset crash at speeds as slow as 10 mph in order to prevent front-seat occupants from hitting the dashboard, steering wheel, or windshield. They are not designed to secure occupants in rear-end, roll-over, or side-impact collisions. Again the European manufacturers have taken the lead in safety and offer side impact airbags in most models sold in the US. Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo now include a third type of airbag just for your head.

Why do some companies charge extra for side airbags and head/side curtain airbags? The greedy manufacturers have found that some consumers are willing to pay extra for safety. Those manufacturers that participate in this practice should be ashamed of themselves, trying to charge extra for devices that save lives!

Why aren't side airbags and head/side curtain airbags standard? Because the manufacturers aren't required by NHTSA to include them as standard equipment, they don't. Although testing and research done in the 1980s and 1990s clearly shows that side airbags and head/side curtain airbags could save thousands of lives, the US Federal Government continues to drag their feet. History shows that it takes NHTSA ten years or longer to mandate life saving technology. Although they're not mandatory we do not recommend that anyone purchase a vehicle without side or head airbags, no matter what its rating.

Where does the crash-test data come from? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash-tests vehicles using a 35 mph full-width frontal barrier test. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tests vehicles using a 40 mph frontal offset crash. In Europe, the New Car Assessment Program (EuroNCAP) crashes vehicles using a 40 mph frontal offset barrier test, and a 30 mph side impact test. In Australia, the NRMA performs the same tests on native vehicles and in Japan the National Organization For Automotive Safety and Victim's Aid (OSA) crash vehicles using a full frontal barrier test and a new side impact test.

Why isn't there data for rear impact collisions? The economics of crash-testing don't allow for rear-impact collision tests. Frontal impacts account for 48% of all motor vehicle collisions. Offset and side-impact collisions split the next 48% while rear-impacts account for the remaining 4%. Spending money on rear impact collisions just wouldn't make sense in an environment where a sizeable portion of new models are never tested because of funding shortfalls. The IIHS does determine if the front seat head restraints of a motor vehicle can be positioned behind and close enough to the back of the head to limit relative head and torso movement in rear-end collisions. In their Head Restraint Ratings they give each vehicle a rating based on their measurements which may indicate how well an occupant would be protected in a rear-end collision. For more information on rear-end crash testing read the following NHTSA paper "IVHS Countermeasures for Rear-End Collisions"

Why can't I find driver death rate or insurance loss data for new models? It takes the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) considerable time to gather and tabulate the real-world data needed to provide statistically significant results on new models. Complete vehicle registration data for each model year typically are released about two years later, and data on fatalities are first available approximately nine months after the end of the calendar year. Similarly, it takes time to amass sufficient insurance claims information to provide meaningful results for a range of vehicles. For vehicles that have not been fundamentally redesigned, previous model year results are good predictors of the current model's experience.

What does SafeCarGuide.com offer that other car-buying sites don't? SafeCarGuide.com combines all of the crash-test information offered by the government and insurance industry groups, puts it on one chart, on one page. We include risk data detailing how statistically safe the insurance companies feel each vehicle may be. SafeCarGuide.com evaluates all the available data on each vehicle and assigns it 1 of 5 possible performance ratings in 13 different categories. An overall rating is arrived at using a weighted formula which uses data from 12 of the 13 categories. Most every new and used car, truck, van, and sport utility vehicle (SUV) that can be found at your local dealer or in your paper's classified section has been rated.

Where do other safety sites fall short? Over 30,000 Americans die in motor vehicle accidents each year. One in 8.5 drivers is involved in an automobile collision. Consumers Union publishes crash-test results on some new models in their annual Consumer Reports Auto Buying Guide Issue but neglects the 4 out of 5 motor vehicle buyers who purchase previously-enjoyed merchandise. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) provides safety information to the public via their publications, but only features cars built after 1995. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) does their own testing for the insurance industry, but again data is only available for late-model vehicles.

Which tests are performed by the Federal Government? Each year several research facilities crash-test current model year vehicles as part of the International New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). In the United States, the NHTSA places crash-test dummies secured with all available restraints in the driver and passenger seats of the test vehicle and measures the force of impact on each dummy's head, chest, and legs in a 35 mph full frontal impact. Tests simulate damage equivalent to a vehicle moving 60-70 mph striking a parked vehicle of the same weight class. Results do not reflect the extent to which an occupant in a lightweight vehicle could be injured in a collision with a heavier vehicle. In 1998 NHTSA added the European NCAP's side impact test, which places crash-test dummies in the driver's-side front and rear passenger seats with all available restraints. Instruments measure the force of impact on the dummy's neck, chest, and pelvis when a 3,015 lb moving barrier hits the vehicle at 30-35 mph.

Which tests are performed by the insurance industry? The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts a frontal offset crash where fully restrained crash-test dummies are placed in the front seats of a vehicle which is catapulted into a 40 degree offset front barrier at a speed of 40 mph. Investigators measure damage to the vehicle's structure, assessing how well the front-end crush zone managed crash energy and how well its safety-cage limited intrusion into the driver's space. Measurements obtained at the dummy's head, neck, and chest are compiled with the structural data to give the overall frontal offset rating.

How are the death rate statistics arrived at? The IIHS and NRMA review federal data on deaths in accidents that occurred during the previous calendar years and compile a semi - annual death rate report. The relative death rates are good indicators of how insurers will set rates for different vehicles. Insurance companies price coverage by dividing a market into different types of risks based on claims experience and related costs of providing insurance coverage. Not surprisingly, 2-seat sports cars, turbocharged or V-8 muscle cars, convertibles, mini-cars, light pick-ups and small sport utility vehicles (SUVs) have much higher death-related expenses, collision repairs, and medical bills. Owners of these "targeted" cars face higher insurance rates, regardless of their own driving records. Large luxury cars, minivans, and large SUVs are less likely to be involved in fatal motor vehicle accidents and enjoy lower liability, personal injury protection (PIP), and collision rates. For vehicles sold in the United States, the Death Rate column displays data compiled by the IIHS using the NHTSA's Fatal Accident Reporting System and vehicle registration information obtained from the R.L.Polk Company for model years 1989-1995. For vehicles sold in Australia, the Death Rate column displays data gathered by the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority, the Victorian Transport Accident Commission, and Queensland Transport from 1987 to 1997.

Should I be concerned about injury claims? Insurance companies report Personal Injury Protection (PIP) claims to the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) who rank the vehicles based on injury claims. Vehicles with the worst injury results typically have claim frequencies double those with the best rating. Vehicles that receive the best rating are the largest, heaviest models, while those with the worst are usually the smallest and lightest. The costs associated with a poor rating would be reflected by a higher insurance premium for the collision portion of your policy.

Does the weight of a vehicle affect its safety rating? Keep in mind the overall safety ratings are only comparable between vehicles of a similar weight class and model year. If two vehicles with the same NHTSA full-width frontal rating crash into each other head on, but one vehicle weighs twice as much as the other, the occupants of the lighter one are eight times more likely to be killed than the occupants of the heavier vehicle. Vehicles weighing under 2300 lbs/1045 kgs earn a Poor weight class rating. Vehicles weighing between 2300 lbs/1045 kgs and 2599 lbs/1180 kgs earn a Marginal rating. Vehicles weighing between 2600 lbs/1181 kgs and 2999 lbs/1362 kgs earn an Acceptable rating, while vehicles with a weight between 3000 lbs/ 1363 kgs and 3499 lbs/1589 kgs receive a Good rating. All vehicles with a weight of 3500 lbs/1590 kgs or more are awarded an excellent weight class rating.

The weight class of my vehicle differs from the weight class you've assigned to it. Why? The weight we use is the specific weight of the vehicle used in the test that was conducted. Very often a differently optioned vehicle will weigh 10% more or less than the weight we've assigned to it. Please re-adjust the weight class category to meet the exact weight of your vehicle. Different engine, transmission, and accessory option packages can make a big difference. The weight class rating for any given model is not set in stone.

I cannot find any references to injuries to passengers in rear facing, third row seats in staion wagons. I normally have children riding in these seats and after seeing a friends four-door car after a rear impact I am concerned about their safety. Are you aware of any testing or statistics regarding the subject on the Mercedes Volvo or any other wagon? We're not aware of any tests results or accident data that pertains to the safety of rear-facing passenger seats in station wagons. I would hope that Mercedes-Benz and Volvo has done some testing, but I’ve never seen it mentioned on their websites or in any press releases. Yours is a common concern and my personal opinion is that children (and others) should never ride in rearward facing seats. I suggest you take a look at footage of a modern demolition derby. The participants feel that wagons offer better protection when compared to sedans, and full-size GM wagons are the most popular vehicles in current competitions. In a demolition derby the drivers try to hit their opponents with the rear-end of their vehicles, rather than with the front-end where the vulnerable radiator and engine make their home. Take a good look at the rear-end of the wagons at the end of a competition, they’ve all been totally crushed up to the rear axle. That’s where you children would be riding in a real accident.

Here’s a link to couple of pictures of derby wagons so you can decide for yourself:

volvo1.jpg volvo2.jpg taxi2.jpg impala8.jpg

Is there a fee for obtaining SafeCarGuide.com safety information? Unlike other sites such as Consumer Reports which charge a monthly membership fee, SafeCarGuide.com offers all of our information at no charge to the consumer.

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