Cars Are Getting Bigger. Can Smarter Software Make Them Safer? (2024)

FAQs

Are bigger cars actually safer? ›

Larger vehicles are usually safer than smaller cars because of their size and weight—two very important forces that directly relate to your risk of getting injured. Bigger vehicles tend to be more spacious and have more distance between the front of the car and its occupants.

Thanks to advanced engineering, in-depth research and analysis of crash data, newer vehicles are built better and have more safety features to protect you. Advanced technologies that have emerged in recent years give you even more safety options.

"First, they include many more 'passive' safety features, such as advanced airbags, that help to protect the vehicle's occupants and mitigate injuries if a crash occurs. They also have many more 'active' safety features, such as automatic emergency braking, that can help drivers avoid crashes entirely."

It's a matter of physics: Bigger and heavier is safer than smaller and lighter. Large vehicles weigh more and have longer hoods and bigger crush zones, which gives them an advantage in frontal crashes.

An SUV with the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating can be considered the safest vehicle in a crash and may help you survive the impact better than any other car or SUV.

Smart Cars Earn Highest Safety Rating

As for safety, the ForTwo did well enough in crash tests by the independent Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) to earn the group's highest rating—five stars—thanks to the car's steel race-car style frame and liberal use of high-tech front and side airbags.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), modern cars are much safer, notably, since the implementation of seat belts, airbags, and crash avoidance technology has considerably improved the chances of a driver surviving a car crash.

Features like air bags, seat belts, crumple zones, and a bevy of automated safety technologies have dramatically improved passenger safety — features that may be absent from a classic car, depending on how old it is.

Safety and Reliability - Modern cars have vastly improved safety features and computerized systems. A newer car may provide safety like airbags, antilock brakes, and stability control that a 20-year-old car lacks. Diagnosing issues in an obsolete electrical system can also prove challenging.

Are early 2000s cars safe? ›

The early 2000s cars are a good starting point for essential safety features like dual airbags, anti-lock brakes, and stability control. Finding parts to repair cars over 20 years old can be challenging. Older luxury cars often have higher maintenance costs, making them more expensive in the long run.

What Is the Safest Car Brand in America? Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Acura, and Mazda are the safest car brands in America. These brands typically invest in advanced safety technologies and receive high crash test scores from authoritative organizations like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Generally, big cars are safer than small cars because of physics. Larger vehicles have more material to absorb the energy of an impact than do smaller vehicles. However, just any big car isn't necessarily going to be safer than just any smaller car.

The weight of a bigger car prevents the reflex impact in case of a frontal collision; usually bigger cars have longer hoods, this provides more surface area for the force to dissipate and provides more of a chance for the passengers to stay safe.

Head-On Accidents

Sedan safety tends to drop when it comes to SUV head-on crashes. The same data from the IIHS shows that 58% of head-on crash deaths in single vehicle crashes were passenger car drivers. Meanwhile, 54% of head-on crash deaths were SUV drivers and 55% of head-on crash deaths were pickup truck drivers.

Larger vehicles tend to be less maneuverable than smaller cars. Heavier SUVs and trucks will also almost always have a longer stopping distance than a smaller vehicle. This can make it harder to avoid an accident in a larger vehicle than in a smaller car.