Safety should be one of the main things you think about when buying a car. Especially if you’re buying something to drive your family around in, or that you’ll use very regularly. When you’re behind the wheel of a car, you want to have confidence in the vehicle you’re driving. You don’t want to worry about something happening or have to fear for your safety. With that being said, there are hundreds of new cars on the market every year. Many of these are new versions of old models, with enhanced safety features. Speaking of which, the safety features in cars have become so advanced nowadays – particularly when compared to a decade or so ago. We’re gifted with things like auto-brake assist that try and take driver reactions out of the equation and automatically slow the car to a stop when there’s imminent danger. Different cars come with different features and are built in different ways. Overall, this means we have some cars that are considerably safer than others. So, what is the safest car you can buy in 2018? Well, according to various reports, it might just be the Volvo XC60. This is a family car that’s received high ratings from iihs.org, who are normally the ones to test safety features in cars, including how they do in crashes and their headlights. But, what is it about this car that makes it so safe?
Structurally Sound
Right off the bat, you will notice how strong the structure of this vehicle is. It’s a robust SUV that’s designed to deal with any bumps and scrapes that come its way. When we’re talking about the safety of cars, then the way it handles crashes is a massive consideration. As it mentions on mahoneymahoney.com, out of 6,200 car crashes, around 1,500 result in injury. To keep occupants safe, the car needs to be able to withstand collisions and protect everyone inside. Below, you’ll see a video of the XC60’s crash test. It’s clear that, even when subjected to very forceful collisions, the main structure of the car holds up extremely well. This is exactly what you look for in a car!
Automatic Steering
One of the great safety features in this car is the way it automatically steers you back into your lane. It does this by using sensors that operate around your blind spot and notice things that you may have missed. This is so helpful in instances when you’re driving on the motorway and want to turn into a new lane but haven’t clocked the car coming up behind you in your blind spot. This feature alone can stop so many auto accidents and keep people much safer.
City Safety Package
More often than not, people that buy this car will do so because they want a big family car. As a result, it’s common to drive around cities all the time. Volvo recognizes this and have decided to create a City Safety Package. Here, your car will be vastly improved when you’re driving around tight and busy cities. One of the key parts of this safety package is the improved steering mechanics. When you’re driving slowly around a city, your steering becomes more responsive. This allows you to quickly steer out the way of people that cross the road unexpectedly, or deal with dodgy cyclists.
Pilot Assist
As with most high-end modern cars, the XC60 comes with a pilot assist feature. This will take some of the responsibility off the driver and let the car do most of the work for you. You can stick it in this mode and get assisted steering, braking, and acceleration. What’s more, this features works when you’re driving at any speed under 80 mph. As such, it can greatly improve your safety when driving long distances on motorways. It’s hard to retain concentration on a long journey, and pilot assist helps give your brain a break and avoid accidents that don’t need to happen.
360 Degree Camera
Finally, we have the 360-degree camera that claims to give you a high-definition view of your car from above. The aim of this is to make your car safer to park or maneuver in tight spaces. By seeing everything around you, it gives you less chance of hitting something or someone as you reverse. Most cars come with a rearview camera these days, but this 360-degree camera take things to a new level. In many ways, this feature is the perfect way to describe the Volvo XC60 and its commitment to safety. It takes general car safety and makes it even better. So, if you’re looking to buy a car that’s remarkably safe, then this is arguably your best bet. It has strong safety scores across the board, passes numerous crash tests with flying colors, and has loads of great features. Now, we’ve seen the safest car on the market right now, but what about the other end of the spectrum? What’s the most unsafe car your money can buy? Clearly, there are certain cars out there like supercars and sports cars that just aren’t very safe. However, it’s rare that normal everyday people will buy one. Instead, I want to focus on the most unsafe common car on the roads.
The Most Unsafe Car Is…
The Fiat Punto hatchback. Yes, this is a car you’ve probably seen a lot of on your daily drives. Loads of people buy this small car because it’s affordable, cheap to run, and easy to drive. Unfortunately, it scores poorly in loads of safety tests and is generally considered the least safe car you can buy. Again, I’ve placed a video below this showing the recent crash test for the Fiat Punto. Now, look at how badly damaged that car is compared to the Volvo XC60. As far as safety features go, there’s not a lot on offer either. Essentially, if you want a safe car, this is definitely not the one to go for. Car safety is always getting better and better as technology improves. The Volvo XC60 currently sets the bar extremely high, and there’s a chasing pack of cars led by Hyundai and Subaru that are pushing it close. Can Volvo hold onto their title as 2018 progresses? We’ll have to wait and see.