When it comes to deciding what kind of vehicle to buy, safety is of the utmost concern to many people. While some might prefer a car to a truck or an SUV to a van, nearly everyone would like the peace of mind of knowing that their vehicle is not only reliable, but very safe as well.

There are a number of safety features in vehicles today, but more and more automobiles are coming standard equipped with a certain type of electronic stability control program. An extended version of the anti-lock brake system, electronic stability control helps return your vehicle to its intended line of travel should the driver happen to veer off course. While this program cannot prevent all accidents from occurring, it has significantly reduced the risk of rollover crashes and single vehicle fatalities since its inception.

Another factor when determining the safety of a vehicle is its size and weight. Oftentimes smaller vehicles offer less protection to its passengers than a heavier or larger automobile. When weighing your options about the size of your motor vehicle, keep this in mind: the larger your automobile is, the more damage it can cause to another vehicle, especially if it is smaller or lighter than yours. While there are exceptions to this rule, the majority of tests show that the smaller or lighter a vehicle is, the more likely it is that its passengers will be hurt or killed in a crash.  

After narrowing down your search to only a small number of vehicles, the next step is to check each automobile’s crash testing results to see which of your choices offers the best in frontal impact support, side crashworthiness and rear crashworthiness. These reports can be found online, but your automobile dealer should also be able to provide you with this information.

Once you have decided which vehicle best suits your safety needs, don’t wait to talk to your Alfa Insurance^® agent about automobile insurance for your new ride.