Friday, June 3, 2011

Always safer, insurance group says small cars

DETROIT - small cars are safer than more models than ever that deserve top always crash tests from the insurance industry.

The Insurance Institute for highway safety Thursday, that 6 of the 13 small cars it last tested top safety picks are. Focus and Honda Civic and the 2011 include the 2012 Ford Hyundai Elantra, Nissan Juke Lexus CT 200 h and Toyota Prius.

If these cars are combined with other previously tested - including the electric Nissan leaf and Chevrolet deserves Volt - a total 22 the Institute top score.

This is a big change from model year 2006, when top safety rating, earned only three small cars even though this review was less strict than it is today. In 1997, when the Institute first small cars over a 40-mile per hour frontal test laid, none of the 11 earns a top rating.

"Every time we have introduced a new test automakers have intensified and improved designs,", David Zuby, the Institute said chief research officer. Zuby said that companies stronger materials and better design to use the power of crashes from manage.

A top safety pick, cars have the highest rating in frontal - earn - and back side-impact of crash tests and check roof. You need to prevent electronic stability control as an available option to rollover accidents.

The strength test of roof that simulates what would happen to the roof when the car rolled over, stumbled to several cars in this round of testing. The 2011 Honda CR-Z, Honda insight, Nissan versa, Nissan Sentra, Suzuki SX4 and Dodge Caliber has lower ratings for roof strength. Scion xD got a lower rating in the frontal crash test.

Zuby said that the Hyundai Elantra performance shows how much vehicle design has improved. In 2001, the Elantra received the lowest scores for frontal impact protection. Among his problems was the air bag deployed late. Until 2006 it was still bad, the lowest score in the side crash test, earn working although it side airbags. But the Elantra 2011, which went on sale a few months ago, aced every test and now has standard stability control.

Zuby warned that larger and heavier vehicles are inmates protect always better than small. He said, that is, why it is particularly important for manufacturers to make small cars such as crash-proof as possible.

Copyright 2011, the associated press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.

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