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How safe is your car?

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Automakers have improved the safety of small cars, but some new models still have mixed performances in crash tests...

Article: John Crawley from Reuters
Image: Reuters

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), an insurance industry funded center that evaluates crash protection, recently completed the final series of tests on 2009 small cars.

Overall for the year, front crash test results across the two classes were generally good, while 11 of 21 new models also recorded good ratings for side protection, up from three in 2006.

The group said more vehicles with side airbags as standard equipment has been a major change credited with improving side safety.

U.S. automotive sales for the year are down 16.3 percent, but small car sales are up 1.2 percent. Japanese manufacturers dominate the class that has become more popular with consumers demanding greater fuel efficiency.

For the final seven models tested – results of which were released on Wednesday – only the Suzuki Motor Corp (7269.T) SX4 and the Toyota Motor Co (7203.T) Matrix (along with its twin, Pontiac Vibe made by General Motors Corp (GM.N)) earned the highest rating of 'good' for side crash protection.

And only the Ford Motor Co (F.N) Focus earned a good rating in rear crashes as measured by the quality of head and neck restraints.

Many automakers, the group said, have yet to pay close attention to rear-crash protection.

"In stop and go commuter traffic, you're more likely to get in a rear-end collision than any other kind of crash," said Joe Nolan, the IIHS's senior vice president.

Chrysler's PT Cruiser was the only small car in the recent test series to earn poor marks in both side and rear crash tests.

Side tests are challenging for small cars. They are struck with a movable barrier that replicates the front of a pickup truck or sports utility vehicle. The impact is at head level.

"There's no escaping the laws of physics," Nolan said. "People in larger, heavier cars fare better in crashes with other vehicles and in single-vehicle crashes than people in smaller ones."