Since our Miami car accident lawyers have represented injury victims for over twenty years we understand that while some accidents are unavoidable the extent of the injuries often depends on the safety of the cars involved. Very often, the difference between a safe car and one that fails to meet national standards can mean the difference between simply walking away from an accident or being seriously injured or killed.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is a not-for-profit group financed entirely by the insurance industry. As a Broward traffic accident lawyer, we study closely the recently released IIHS 2012 list of Top Safety Picks, with a record breaking 115 passenger vehicles receiving the distinction of being a Top Safety Pick. Utilizing the IIHS study will help drivers make better-informed selections about the cars they drive.
Crash-worthiness is the study of how well a particular car protects its occupants in a crash. The IIHS rates vehicles in four separate tests. High-speed front and side crashes, roll-overs and rear-enders. It also analyzes seat restraints and head rests to determine the probability of sustaining a neck or back injury in a rear-end crash.
For any vehicle to score a Top Safety Pick it has to have good ratings in all four tests. Our Broward County car crash lawyers cannot recommend that any of our clients drive mini-cars. Surprisingly there are only four mini-cars that were deemed to be safe enough to be a Top Safety Pick. The Mini Cooper which seems to be very popular on the streets of South Florida did well in front impact crashes but scored poorly in side impact and roll-over tests.
It may not be sexy, but Suburu with the most models receiving 2012 picks while BMW has the least. Honda was the manufacturer deemed to be “most improved” due to increases in roof strength in 2012. To find out how will your car did, click here.
