The Safest Car You Can Buy in 2020

We understand that when buying a new vehicle, safety is a top priority. The increase in smart technologies in a car means that there are more ways today to help keep you safe while on the road. Here we share with you the top 5 safest cars to drive.

The Safest Car You Can Buy

1. The 2019 Toyota Prius Prime is a hybrid hatchback that kicks off our list of the safest cars on the market.

The Prius Prime earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), as well as strong crash test results for a small car. The Prius Prime includes a rearview camera and the Toyota Safety Sense P package, which has features like forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and automatic high beams. Options include blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, parallel park assist, front and rear parking sensors, and a head-up display.

2. If you are looking for a truck with great safety scores, there is a limited amount of options out there, but the all-new 2019 Ford Ranger was built to impress.

The Ford Ranger earned good ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in all but one of the evaluations, making a superior rating for front crash prevention.

The Ranger does pretty well when it comes to standard features that focus on safety. It comes with a rearview camera, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and the MyKey system, intended to allow parents to restrict audio volume and speed for younger drivers.

When it comes to options, the Ford Ranger is also equipped with automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, driver attention monitoring, and front and rear parking sensors.

3. If you are looking for a small SUV option, the 2019 Hyundai Tucson is one of the most affordable vehicles in its segment, making it one of the best options out there.

The Tucson earned the coveted Top Safety Pick + rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It also earned Good scores in six IIHS crash tests. The Hyundai Tucson earned a five-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The list of its safety features is pretty impressive. The Tucson includes a rearview camera, automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, driver drowsiness monitoring, and lane-keep assist.

4. Another one of the safest cars to drive is the 2019 Toyota Avalon.

The Avalon earned a Top Safety Pick + rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The Avalon also earned Good scores in six IIHS tests. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the Avalon a five-star overall rating.

This model comes with plenty of standard safety features. The Avalon comes equipped with a rearview camera, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, and the Toyota Safety Sense Plus package, consisting of adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, and pedestrian detection.

5. Next up on the list of safest cars is a midsize sedan, the well-rounded 2019 Honda Accord.

The Honda Accord is an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick, and another excellent contender in crash tests, with six Good ratings. The National Highway Traffic Safety Association gave the Accord an overall five-star rating.

Some of the safety features that come standard with this great model are a rearview camera and driver attention monitoring, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, and traffic sign recognition. 

6.  A great midsize car that is one for the safest cars to drive is the 2019 Kia Optima.

 The Kia Optima has more standard safety features, which helps it take the top spot in the roundup of the safest cars.

The Optima is a Top Safety Pick + for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). This vehicle also scored Good in the six main IIHS tests. The National Highway Traffic Safety Association gave the Optima an overall five-star rating.

The Kia Optima is an excellent vehicle for its downright reasonable starting price, and some of the safety features that come with the starting price are just spectacular. You get a rearview camera, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, lane change assists, rear parking sensors, forward collision avoidance assist, and driver drowsiness monitoring.
 

What Are the Safest Cars for Teenagers?

When you and your teen begin shopping for a new car, we know that safety features are at the top of your priority list, as they should be. The increase in smart technologies in vehicles means that your teen has more ways to keep them safe while on the road.

We have compiled a list of small and midsize cars that are top picks from The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety. These 2019 models earned advanced or superior ratings for front-end crash protection. If you and your teen are on the quest for the safest car, then take a quick peek at the list below for a quick reference.
 

Vehicle Model                        Safety features

Hyundai Elantra          Hyundai Elantra safety features

Hyundai Sonata          Hyundai Sonata safety features

Kia Forte                     Kia Forte safety features

Kia Optima                 Kia Optima safety features

Toyota Camry             Toyota Camry safety features

Mazda CX-5               Mazda CX-5 safety features

Subaru Outback          Subaru Outback safety features

 

What Makes a Car Safe?

When purchasing a vehicle, you want to make sure you pick one that has been safely built so that you have a better chance of surviving in case of an accident. Protect yourself and your passengers by understanding the factors that make a car safe and purchase accordingly. When choosing an automobile, it's important to know these essential safety differences.
 

Anti-lock brakes

Make sure you know how to use your anti-lock brakes properly. If you were trained on conventional brakes to brake gently on slippery roads or pump your brakes to avoid a skid, you might have to unlearn these habits and use hard, continuous pressure to activate your anti lock brakes.
 

Backup cameras

Rearview video systems (RVS), also known as a backup camera, increase visibility when a vehicle is backing up. Backup cameras help prevent crashes and also help protect anyone or anything that might suddenly wander into the car's path.
 

Automatic crash notification system (ACN)

The ACN system will alert 911 if your car is involved in a collision, and can save precious time by sending emergency responders critical information about the crash. ACN systems are available on most new vehicles today.
 

Crash avoidance technologies

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 94% of fatal crashes are because a human being made an error or a poor choice. Ever-improving technologies can minimize injuries and damage from collisions by sensing what is going on around your vehicle and either acting for you or sending an alert. Here are some vehicle safety technologies that you may want to research further.

• Warning systems- Forward collision warning (FCB), blind-spot detection (BSD), and lane departure warning (LDW).
• Braking systems- There are plenty of barking systems that sense and engage the vehicle's system to prevent an accident. Some popular ones are automatic emergency braking (AEB), crash imminent braking (CIB), and dynamic brake support (DBS) and Pedestrian Automatic Emergency Braking (PAEB), which senses people in front of the car and brakes accordingly.

 

Crash Tests

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducts two types of crash tests as part of the New Car Assessment Program. This is a government car safety program tasked with evaluating new automobile designs for performance against various safety threats.
 

Before the crash-test, the NHTSA places dummies in the vehicle, and researchers apply paint to them. Different colors of paint are applied to the part of the dummies' bodies most likely to be hit during a crash. The dummy's knees, face and areas of the skull are each painted with a different color. This information helps researchers develop improvements to prevent that type of injury in future crashes.

Car manufacturers are required to certify that their cars meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). These rules cover everything from how bright the turn signal bulbs must be to the crash-testing requirements. Carmakers have to be sure that if the NHTSA goes to any dealer in the United States, buys any car and crashes it at 30 mph, that the car will pass all of the FMVSS requirements. To ensure that all of the different combinations of engines, transmission, and accessories will pass, some carmakers might crash 60 to 100 vehicles themselves.
 

Technology is enabling carmakers to design and manufacture safer, smarter vehicles, and consumers endorse these trends as reflected in buying patterns. It may take wrecking many cars and crash test dummies, but the information gained from automotive crash tests means you and your loved ones may survive an automobile accident with little or no injury.
 

Making The Final Decision

There are many options when it comes to choosing the safest car for you and your family. Investing in a vehicle that comes loaded with the latest technology will not only make your driving experience more efficient and responsive, but it will make it safer. Ultimately, when it comes to choosing the safest car, don't worry so much about the age, instead, focus on safety features.