The government combined with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) will begin to make it harder for vehicles to get top grades on certain safety tests.

Starting with 2010 models, the IIHS won’t give its “top safety pick” award to a car that doesn’t earn a “good” rating on its new roof strength test.  Rollover car accidents cause injuries every year, and this is a step to making car roofs more durable.

Rollover car accidents are especially dangerous because the car flipping onto its roof can crush the people in the car causing traumatic brain injuries or spinal cord injuries.  A large quantity of injuries can turn a rollover car accident into a fatal automobile accident.  Our car accident lawyers believe ways to increase the safety of cars that people drive every day should be discussed and implemented as quickly as possible.  Any method to improve the prevention of injuries in car accidents can only be seen as a positive.

The steps taken by the IIHS work in conjunction with a new safety rating by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).  Starting in 2011, the NHTSA will include a tougher new side-impact test, which involves crashing cars into a pole and a new rating score.  Ultimately, fewer cars will receive five-star ratings in the NHTSA’s one-to-five-star scoring system, and fewer vehicles will get the IIHS’s top safety pick award.  In 2009, 84 cars got the IIHS’s highest endorsement, which was a record.

Top honors in the IIHS’s small-car roof-crush test was the Smart Fortwo because it could withstand about five times the car’s weight.  The worst performance came from the Chevrolet Aveo, which could only support about three times its weight.

Our car accident lawyers believe car companies should take any necessary steps to ensure the safety of drivers and passengers on millions of streets and highways every day.  These new safety ratings should improve how auto makers develop new cars to prevent injuries in car accidents in the future.  Nonetheless, you should double check to make sure that you have the best car insurance policy possible for any potential accidents on the road.

Please feel free to call us now at 1-858-551-2090 or you can click here for a free consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney.  We have a large bilingual staff that can assist you in either English or Spanish. No fee if no recovery.