Car accidents, which kill approximately 43,000 people every year, is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in the US, according to the Department of Transportation. Because of the magnitude of the problem, the federal agency has conducted several studies about highway collisions and categorized these into six.
Rear-end impact
This happens when a driver hits another car in front, smashing its rear. Usually, this occurs when a vehicle suddenly stops and the car behind is unable to immediately press the break.
According to researchers, the force of rear-end is half the speed of the car. For example, a sedan traveling at a speed of 30mph that rear-ends another vehicle will be like crashing into a wall at 15mph.
Side collision
This happens when one side of the car is hit by another vehicle. Researchers said that this accident is very common in intersections and parking areas.
Run off-road collision
This single-vehicle accident occurs when a driver losses control of the car and leaves the roadway, thus resulting to a rollover or hitting a fixed object.
Rollover
SUVs have been found to rollover (turning on its side or roof) four times more than low-roofed cars due its higher center of gravity.
Head-on collision
This happens when the two vehicles front collided with each other. Several studies suggested that this is one of the most fatal car accidents because the relative velocity of cars traveling in opposite directions is high.
Back-up collision
This happens when a driver fails to see that there is an object or person behind the vehicle. While cars have rear view mirrors, drivers may find it hard to detect smaller objects behind them. Big trucks have bigger "blind spots", making these more prone to back-up accident.
Back-up collision is also called "Bye-bye" accident because most of the victims were young children who followed their parents from the car to wave goodbye.
With the seriousness of car accidents, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has conducted a comprehensive crashworthiness test to determine the safest cars in the market. This is the list of the safest car models in 2009:
(Large cars)
Acura RL
Audi A6
Cadillac CTS
Ford Taurus
2009-10 models
Hyundai Genesis
4-door models built after 11/08
Lincoln MKS
Mercury Sable
Toyota Avalon
Volvo S80
(Midsize cars)
Acura TL
Acura TSX
Audi A3
Audi A4
BMW 3 series 4-door models
Ford Fusion 2009-10 models with ESC
Honda Accord 4-door models
Lincoln MKZ 2010 models
Mercedes C class
Mercury Milan 2009-10 models with ESC
Saab 9-3
Subaru Legacy
Volkswagen CC
Volkswagen Jetta
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