Smaller Cars Getting Safer
According to a recent report put out by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, small cars are getting a lot safer than they used to be. While small cars are certainly more likely to incur greater damage in a collision — and therefore increase fatality rates in crashes — the manufacturers of smaller cars are starting to bridge the safety gap.
In 1996, the driver deaths per million in the small category of new cars rated 126, as compared to 63 driver deaths per million in the large category. In 2006, the number for small cars went down to 99 while the number for large cars actually went up to 69. There’s certainly still a difference between the two, but smaller cars are getting safer every year.
This is great news for auto makers like Nissan who are primarily focusing on the smaller car market. The discussion now, it seems, must start to focus on avoiding — rather than surviving — auto crashes that could result in fatalities. While this is largely dependent on driver behaviour, safety features are being implemented across the auto industry that can reduce the collisions themselves.
One reason the gap may be getting smaller is that smaller cars are nimbler and more able to make the quick changes and adjustments that could avoid a collision in the first place. Even though they’re lighter and more likely to incur major damage than their larger counterparts, drivers might be finding that because of the manoeuvrability of the vehicle, they’re not hitting the big guys in the first place.
If you’re in the market for a smaller vehicle, stop by our Nissan dealer – Wilmington to test out the flexibility and handling of some of the greatest and safest cars on the market. Visit the Classic Nissan website to learn about specials and new inventory.
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