Are Certain Vehicles Safer Than Others When Involved In A Collision?

By Author: Tony Martins
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No matter how minor the accident, being involved in any collision is less than ideal. You may be the type that likes to prepare in advance, making choices that keep your family safe if the unforeseen happens. You may have heard the old adage that large vehicles are always safer if you are involved in an accident. The truth of the matter is it depends.

For those who are involved in serious accidents, having a bigger vehicle won’t make much of a difference; although, if you are only in a minor fender bender the difference will be significant. In today’s modern era, all vehicles are rigorously tested for safety. As such, the gap is closing with smaller cars being nearly comparable to larger cars with safety ratings. Ultimately, the most important thing is that you and your family make it through a car crash safely, even if the exterior of your vehicle may be beyond repair.
Continue reading to learn more about the differences between large and small cars when accidents occur.

Safety Factors to Consider

The newer the vehicle, the safer it is. Thus, if you are concerned about safety, stay away ...
... from models from years past and seek a newer model, even if this means purchasing a smaller vehicle. Newer vehicles are equipped with many extra safety features that were not available in previous years. New vehicles contain back up cameras/ sensors to help you avoid hitting another vehicle, object, or person that you didn’t see, offer lane changing assistance by alerting you to objects in your blind spots, are fully equipped with air bags in the front, side, rear, and side-curtain areas of the vehicle, and come equipped with electronic stability control to help prevent spinouts and rollovers.

The impact of weight and size are still important factors to consider when thinking about safety concerns. Simply put, the bigger and heavier a vehicle is, the better it will be able to withstand/absorb a significant impact. Thus, a heavy vehicle will likely sustain less damage on impact than a small vehicle. Furthermore, it will likely sustain less hood damage as there is more area to compensate for the force of a crash.

However, if the person driving the big car is the responsible for the accident, the vehicle will do greater damage than that of a smaller vehicle. It is simple physics, a big, heavy car is unable to stop as quickly and the increased momentum will transfer a much harder hit than a smaller vehicle. Additionally, it more likely a larger vehicle will cause an injury to the other driver, namely whip lash.

Contact A Repair Shop ASAP

If you are involved in an accident, whether big or small the experience may be stressful for a variety of reasons, including monetary concerns, injuries, lack of vehicle use, etc. Stay calm and contact a reputable auto body repair shop. The experienced and friendly staff will be able to assist you in mitigating every step of the process and help you get back on the road faster.

I am Tony Martins, owner and founder of Rallye Coach Works, an auto body shop serving Denver, Colorado and surrounding markets.