All You Need to Know About Car Safety Ratings

Posted on: May 5, 2023 | | Written by:

All You Need to Know About Car Safety Ratings

Published on May 05, 2023. EST READ TIME: 4 minutes

When you buy a vehicle, you consider the safety factor. This is why car safety ratings play an important role in the decision-making process. But what exactly is meant by a safety rating, and what are the factors that influence these ratings? Take a look at this article to get all the answers.

Overview of Car Safety Ratings

Car accidents happen, irrespective of how well you drive your car or how skilled you are as a driver. To ensure you and your loved ones stay safe in the account of an accident, car manufacturers install safety features. Based on these features and their performances, the car safety ratings are assigned to the various models of cars.

Explanation of the different types of car safety ratings

Just like you buy car insurance online to protect your vehicle, you look for the safety features in the car to ensure your own protection when driving. Here are some of the most popular safety features that affect the safety ratings of a vehicle:

1. Airbags:

Practically every modern vehicle, irrespective of its size and make, has in-built airbags. The cars that have better quality and more effective airbags receive a higher safety rating.

2. Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS):

The anti-lock braking system is a mechanism that does not let the tyres from locking when there is a sudden collision or braking. This is a very important safety feature in a car as it prevents many accidents. The effectiveness of the ABS also helps determine the safety rating of the car.

3. Seatbelts:

Seat belts save lives. Some cars have high-quality seat belts that never fail, while others have cheaper quality seatbelts. The safety rating of the vehicle, quite obviously, depends on the quality of the seat belts in the car.

4. Roof strength:

The strength of the roof in a car is so very crucial. When there is a rollover, the roof strength determines the impact the passengers will feel. A car that has a high safety rating has excellent roof strength and vice-versa.

These are some of the safety features that modern cars have. There are more, and based on the number and strength of each, the car is given a safety rating.

Explanation of the limitations of car safety ratings

While the car safety ratings come in handy in making a choice, they should not be the only factor on which you should base your car-buying decision. Just like you compare the motor insurance plans before buying, you should also weigh the pros and cons of important factors such as the safety ratings of cars. Here are some limitations that are often encountered:

1. The tests are carried out in labs:

One of the major drawbacks is that the safety tests are carried out in labs, under controlled circumstances, and not on real roads. Hence, the results vary from those that happen in actual road crashes.

2. Tests are done at a lower speed:

Most of the lab-generated car crashes happen at a speed of about 60 KMPH. However, accidents on highways often happen at much higher speeds. This is another reason why the lab results aren't the most accurate at all times.

3. Crash compatibility:

The lab crashes are generated between vehicles that are compatible with each other. For example, the researchers make a sedan collide with another sedan. However, in real life, accidents happen between vehicles of different sizes. A hatchback may collide with a truck, or a bus may collide with an SUV. in such cases, compatibility doesn't play a role, and you get very different results.

4. Insufficient knowledge:

And finally, many drivers don't know how to deploy the safety features. For example, many drivers don't know that for the ABS to work, hard braking is required.

Even with the limitations, the safety features are a must-have in all vehicles. You should also look towards motor insurance and choose a good policy to keep you extra safe. A comprehensive car insurance plan offers protection for your car and also for you, so you should get it without fail as soon as you buy your vehicle.

Importance of car safety ratings

Car safety ratings are crucial. You have to take the into consideration:

1. They help rate the vehicles:

When buying a car, you look at various parameters such as the price, the look of the car, the seating capacity, the engine power, etc. These are factors that help you to differentiate the cars from one another. The safety ratings also play a similar role here. They help differentiate between the model's basic safety, and this helps you to make a quick and accurate decision.

2. Give you a realistic picture of the safety:

As mentioned above, safety is one of the most important factors when it comes to vehicles. When you have a scientifically proven set of ratings that tell you how safe each car is, it helps immensely.

3. Offer facts and figures:

The ratings are based on real research and analysis. This is why they have facts and figures to support them. Consequently, you have very true and reliable data to rely on.

What factors influence car safety ratings?

There are four main factors that help in assigning car safety ratings. They are:

1. Dummy measurement:

The impact on the vitals of the dummy tells us how effective the safety features are in protecting the passengers of the car.

2. Airbag effectiveness:

The airbag effectiveness relies on factors such as how quickly the bags opened, to what extent they protracted the passengers, etc.

3. Seat belt efficiency:

The same holds true for seat belts. In the event of a crash, the seat belts should not rip or give way.

4.Survival space:

The space in the compartment of the car is vital. If there is more space, the airbags can be deployed fully and save lives.

The need for a good comprehensive car insurance plan becomes all the more highlighted here. While the above factors can predict the safety of a car, they cannot rule out the chance of an accident. Get a good motor insurance plan and stay secure.

Buying decisions influenced by crash-safety ratings:

A recent survey confirmed that more than 65% of all prospective car buyers look towards the safety ratings of all the available vehicles before they make a decision. This shows just how important these ratings are and why you should also take these ratings very seriously when looking to buy a new car.

Conclusion

As you can clearly see from the points mentioned above, they are very important and you should not ignore them when you look to buy a car. However, you can also see that there are some limitations here, so apply your own logic and understanding and then make the most appropriate choice. Once you decide on buying the car, look to get car insurance online and keep yourself and your vehicle safe at all times.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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