Cheap Auto Insurance and Cheap Insurance for SR22

The debate continues about benefits and costs of health insurance. Pundits and consumers alike agree that the comparison of the health insurance mandate to mandatory car insurance is not relevent.  People have choices when it comes to car insurance.  If they don’t want to pay for it, they don’t have to drive.  The health insurance mandate, however, does not offer such choices. 

We found an interesting editorial comparing auto insurance mandates and health insurance mandates that caught our eye:

“Although there are legitimate concerns about the rate of compliance with a proposed health insurance mandate, comparing it to the experience with auto insurance is flawed reasoning.”

“First, compulsory auto insurance is a state-by-state mandate, and the rates of compliance vary depending on how seriously a state takes the issue. In Mississippi, for instance, it took forever for the Legislature to adopt a mandatory insurance law in the first place, and the enforcement mechanism is still not as strong as it could be.”
…
“The federal government, which would police mandatory health insurance, has an advantage over states when it comes to enforcement. It can set one national policy, rather than deal with regulations that vary state by state. It also has a huge club — the Internal Revenue Service — to dangle over the heads of the public and to assist in catching the scofflaws.”

“Furthermore, unlike auto insurance, which makes no allowances for the income levels of the purchaser, the main health-care reform plans being considered by Congress take into account income differences. They call for providing subsidies to people who truly can’t afford the full cost of coverage.”  [ Read More ]

Serenity Insurance offers affordable car insurance.  Let us prove that we can beat the rates and service of the national insurance carriers, regardless of your income. We offer coverage in 47 states. Do you need affordable auto insurance right now? Put us to the test! We work with a large number of companies to get the most competitive auto insurance rates for our customers.

Call us toll free at 1-800-774-0520 or fill out a car insurance quote request today.

Technorati Tags: auto insurance, car insurance, health insurance

Business Journal reports that Ohio has 11th lowest auto insurance rates

Car insurance rates throughout Ohio are declining, giving the state the 11th lowest auto insurance rates in the nation, according to a new study.

For the third consecutive year, state auto insurance rates have declined, according to the 2006/2007 Auto Insurance Database Report announced Wednesday by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

In 2007, the most recent data available, Ohio’s ranking as 11th lowest for auto insurance rates in the nation was an improvement from its ranking of 13th lowest in 2006.

[ Read More ]

Serenity Group Insurance provides cheap car insurance in 47 states, including the state of Ohio.

Whether you are a preferred driver looking for cheap auto insurance or a high risk driver required to carry Form SR 22 insurance, Serenity Insurance can meet your needs. Serenity wants to quote your insurance needs and prove that we can beat the rates and service of the national insurance carriers.

For Cheap Insurance or SR22 Insurance call (800) 774-0520

Do you need affordable auto insurance right now? Put us to the test! We work with a large number of companies to get the most competitive auto insurance rates for our customers.

Call us now toll free at 1-800-774-0520 or fill out a car insurance quote request.

This past week, there has been a flurry of health insurance inquiries. There is quite a debate nationally about costs of health insurance, who should pay, who should be covered, what the coverage levels should be, etc.  Most pundits seem to agree that the comparison of the health insurance mandate to mandatory car insurance is not relevent.  People have choices when it comes to car insurance.  If they don’t want to pay for it, they don’t have to drive.  The health insurance mandate, however, does not offer such choices. 

There was a thought provoking article by Judson Berger - FoxNews that caught our eye:

“Critics are urging the Obama administration to use a different, more representative comparison than car insurance to justify a health insurance mandate. ”

“In building the case for mandatory health insurance, President Obama and congressional Democrats are comparing a proposed requirement to buy health coverage to the need for all car owners to buy auto insurance.”

…

“It’s true that most states require drivers to carry auto insurance. And it’s equally true that the administration wants a federal law that will require individuals and employers to buy health insurance.”

“But the similarities end there.”  [ Read more ]

–
Whether you are a preferred driver looking for cheap auto insurance or a high risk driver required to carry Form SR 22 insurance, Serenity Insurance can meet your needs. Serenity wants to quote your insurance needs and prove that we can beat the rates and service of the national insurance carriers.

For Cheap Insurance or SR22 Insurance call (800) 774-0520

Do you need affordable auto insurance right now? Put us to the test! We work with a large number of companies to get the most competitive auto insurance rates for our customers.

Call us now toll free at 1-800-774-0520 or fill out a car insurance quote request.

Technorati Tags: auto insurance, car insurance, health insurance

New General Motors Laboratory will Accelerate Advanced Battery Technologies and Speed the Development of Electric Vehicles

American drivers may be one step closer to getting behind the wheel of an electric car. In an effort to expand battery research and expedite the introduction of electrically driven vehicles, General Motors announced the opening of The Global Battery Systems Lab.

The state-of-the-art facility is the size of seven basketball courts and is the largest in the United States. Capable of testing all current battery systems, the lab will speed the development of hybrid, plug-in and extended-range electric vehicles, including the Chevrolet Volt. In fact, more than half of the lab is dedicated to testing the electrochemical battery cells and their enclosures.

A team of more than 1,000 engineers will work on energy alternatives and advanced technologies that reduce dependence on petroleum, improve fuel economy and reduce emissions; putting cleaner, more efficient cars on the road more quickly and affordably.

Source: General Motors

Car insurance for your new electric car or hybrid vehicle is a click away.

Technorati Tags: automobiles, automotive, Battery, cars, electric vehicles, General Motors

Many Booster Seats Aren’t Up To the Job of Improving  Safety Belt Fit for Children

ARLINGTON, VA – Booster seats are meant to do one thing – elevate children so that safety belts designed for adults are in the right position to restrain kids during a crash. Thirteen of the 41 belt-positioning booster seats the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety evaluated with the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute did such a poor job of improving the fit of lap and shoulder belts for children that the Institute doesn’t recommend them at all. Ten models are best bets and 5 are good bets. These evaluations are the first to tell consumers how well boosters sold by US retailers improve belt fit for children in cars, minivans, and SUVs. The Institute plans to continue these assessments.

“We evaluated the safety belt fit boosters provide, not crash protection,” says Institute president Adrian Lund. “This is because unlike child restraints, boosters don’t restrain children in crashes. They simply position children so lap and shoulder belts are in the right place to restrain them.” Good boosters route belts across a child’s bony parts, not soft parts like the abdomen, which is more vulnerable to injury. “We’d expect the 10 best bets to improve belt fit for children in almost any car, minivan, or SUV,” Lund says. “Likewise, it’s clear that kids in the 13 boosters we don’t recommend aren’t getting the full benefit of improved lap belt fit. These boosters may increase restraint use by making children more comfortable, but they don’t position belts for optimal protection.”

Researchers at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute assessed 2 types of boosters, backless and highback, under conditions representing a range of 2001-06 model vehicles. Some highbacks convert to backless, and some boosters, called combination seats, can be used as child restraints. Highback and backless

Not Recommended

Safety Angel Ride Ryte backless
Cosco/Dorel (Eddie Bauer) Summit
Graco CarGo Zephyr
Evenflo Big Kid Confidence
Cosco/Dorel Traveler
Compass B505
Compass B510
Evenflo Generations
Dorel/Safety 1st (Eddie Bauer) Prospect
Cosco Highback Booster
Cosco/Dorel Alpha Omega
Evenflo Chase Comfort Touch
Safety 1st/Dorel Intera

Note: Unless the booster name indicates that it is a backless seat, all boosters are highbacks. Go to iihs.org for the full list of model numbers and manufacture dates.

Best Bets

Graco TurboBooster backless with clip
Fisher-Price Safe Voyage backless with clip
Combi Kobuk backless with clip
Fisher-Price Safe Voyage
Britax Parkway
LaRoche Bros. Teddy Bear
Safeguard Go backless with clip
Volvo booster cushion
Recaro Young Style
Britax Monarch
Good Bets
Graco TurboBooster
Safety Angel Ride Ryte
Recaro Young Sport
Combi Kobuk
Safety 1st/Dorel Apex 65

BOOSTER SEAT EVALUATIONS

modes were evaluated separately because each mode affects how belts fit. More importance was assigned to lap belt fit. All of the best-bet boosters locate this belt on children’s upper thighs. The main problem for the boosters that aren’t recommended is they leave the lap belt partially or fully on the abdomen. Fit is important because a correctly positioned lap belt loads pelvic bones during a crash, not the abdomen. A good booster also positions the shoulder belt at midshoulder, keeping the webbing away from the neck so it won’t chafe and reducing the likelihood that kids will endanger themselves by putting the belt behind their back or under an arm.

“Our data show it’s possible to design a booster with good lap and shoulder belt fit,” says Matt Reed, the study’s lead author and research associate professor at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. “Boosters that can’t do that should be redesigned.”

Not-recommended boosters: Boosters the Institute doesn’t recommend are the highback Compass B505, Compass B510, Cosco/Dorel Traveler, and Evenflo Big Kid Confidence; backless Safety Angel Ride Ryte; combination Cosco/Dorel Alpha Omega, Cosco/Dorel (Eddie Bauer) Summit, Cosco Highback Booster, Dorel/Safety 1st (Eddie Bauer) Prospect, Evenflo Chase Comfort Touch, Evenflo Generations, Graco CarGo Zephyr, and Safety 1st/Dorel Intera. At least 2 of these models have been discontinued, hopefully replaced by better designs. Booster makers sometimes reuse names and even model numbers for new seats, so manufacture dates and model numbers are important. The full list of boosters evaluated is at iihs.org.

Best bets and good bets: The 10 best-bet boosters are the most likely to position not only lap belts but also shoulder portions correctly on many children in many vehicles. Best bets include 3 backless seats: Combi Kobuk, Fisher-Price Safe Voyage, and Graco TurboBooster. These may require plastic clips to correctly position shoulder belts. Six highbacks are best bets: Britax Monarch, Britax Parkway, Fisher-Price Safe Voyage, LaRoche Bros. Teddy Bear, Recaro Young Style, and Volvo booster cushion. Another best bet is the combination seat Safeguard Go when it’s used as a backless booster. Combination seats convert to boosters by removing their built-in harnesses. At least 5 of the best-bet boosters have been discontinued but still are sold. The 5 good bets provide acceptable belt fit in almost as many vehicle belt configurations. They are highbacks Combi Kobuk, Graco TurboBooster, and Safety Angel Ride Ryte, and combinations Recaro Young Sport and Safety 1st/Dorel Apex 65, when used as highbacks.

“Boosters that provide better belt fit aren’t necessarily the priciest,” notes Anne McCartt, Institute senior vice president for research. “Parents don’t have to spend a lot of money for a best bet or good bet booster.” The highback Graco Turbo- Booster, for example, converts to a backless booster and retails for about $50. The backless-only version sells for about $20. Child safety seat laws in 43 states and the District of Columbia include booster seat provisions, but until now there has been little information on how to pick one that provides proper belt fit. The government’s dynamic tests of boosters don’t measure belt fit. Congress in 2002 told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to evaluate a belt fit test, but the agency decided to forgo testing. Instead, it only rates boosters by how easy they are to use. Manufacturers crash test boosters, but these simulated tests don’t tell parents how boosters will fit kids in their vehicles.

How they’re evaluated: The comparative ratings of boosters begin with lap belt fit. Researchers positioned a Hybrid III dummy representing a 6 year-old, the average size of a booster-age child, in a booster in a second-row seat taken from a car. They assessed lap/shoulder belt fit under 7 conditions spanning a range of belt positions measured in 31 vehicle rear seats. Backless boosters generally provide better lap belt fit. Only 1 of the 15 backless boosters evaluated, the Graco Turbo- Booster used with a belt positioning clip, provides optimal fit for both the lap and shoulder belts across all the belt configurations. On other backless boosters, the belt often falls too close to the neck or too far off the shoulder. McCartt says parents with kids in backless boosters should use the clips if they’re needed to correctly position shoulder belts on their children. Because of built-in guides, highbacks generally do a better job of positioning shoulder belts across all vehicle configurations. However, 12 of the 26 evaluated fail to correctly position lap belts. Good boosters have belt-routing features that hold lap belts down and forward.

Combination seats and 3-in-1s: Six of the 12 highbacks in the not-recommended group are combination seats that can be used as forward-facing child restraints with 5-point harnesses, and 2 highbacks, the Cosco/Dorel Alpha Omega and the Safety 1st/Dorel Intera, are 3-in-1 seats that can be used rear-facing for infants. The Intera also converts to a backless booster. The Safeguard Go, which converts to a backless booster but not a highback, is the only combination seat that’s a best bet.

“Combination and 3-in-1 seats are marketed as the last child seat parents need to buy,” Lund says, “but most of these seats aren’t the best choice as boosters. Parents need to be careful. These seats should be fine when their harnesses restrain younger children, but many of these designs compromise the ability to provide children with good belt fit as booster seats.” Child, booster, vehicle affect belt fit: The evaluations reflect the fit of lap/shoulder belts for an average size 6 year-old in many belt configurations. Some boosters might fit bigger or smaller children better in vehicles with other belt setups. Unlike dummies, kids fidget and slouch in their seats, so the real-world fit boosters provide varies. “No matter how a booster did in our evaluations, parents still need to see how it fits their child in their car,” Lund advises. He urges them “not to rush to buy a new booster if theirs isn’t among the top seats. Check how it fits and remember, it’s better for children to ride restrained in any booster than to let them ride unbuckled.” Boosters are belt positioners, not restraints: When children outgrow child restraints, parents may wonder if boosters are necessary. They are, because safety belts are designed to fit adults and usually don’t fit most kids properly until they’re 4 feet 9 inches tall. About 350 children ages 4-7 die in crashes each year in the United States. An additional 50,000 are injured. Because half of the fatally injured children in this age group ride unrestrained, the first step is to get them belted. Boosters help by improving the fit, effectiveness, and comfort of adult belts.

There’s convincing evidence that boosters, used with lap/shoulder belts, offer the safest way for kids to ride in cars once they outgrow child restraints, usually at age 4. Using boosters lowers injury risk by 59 percent compared with belts alone, a 2003 study by the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia found. A 2006 study by the same authors found that boosters reduce fatality risk among booster-age children by about 28 percent compared with belts alone.

Source: News release on booster seats and safety belt fit
For more information go to www.iihs.org

Technorati Tags: Child, Child Booster Seats, Child Safety, children, Insurance, insurance companies, Interesting Articles, safety, Safety Belts, Seat Belts

New Options for Cheap Insurance

Cheap Car Insurance Leader Serenity Insurance Group Adds Homeowner’s Insurance, Renter’s Insurance, Umbrella Insurance Policies, ATV Insurance and RV Insurance in 42 States.

Phoenix Arizona, January 21, 2009  Serenity Insurance Group  announced today that they have been appointed with Safeco Insurance to provide Homeowner’s Insurance, Renter’s Insurance, Umbrella Policies, ATV Insurance and RV Insurance in 42 States. Serenity Group has the ability to provide car insurance coverage in 47 states from several different companies and they currently provide auto insurance quotes for high risk requiring a Form SR22 and for preferred drivers requiring cheap car insurance and motorcycle insurance.

Serenity’s agents are bilingual and Serenity has a large customer service staff to assist customers . Serenity has provided insurance for tens of thousands of customers throughout the Unites States. Cheap car insurance has become one of Serenity’s specialties and their agents are becoming known throughout the industry as the experts in finding the companies who can provide the least expensive rates.

Innovation is also one of Serenity’s attributes. Serenity can quote and complete a purchase for auto insurance in less than 7 minutes. All transactions can be completed via the internet, with the help of agents to secure the least expensive and best insurance scenario for the customer. For over fifteen years Serenity Insurance has provided cheap auto insurance, SR-22 insurance and high risk auto insurance in 47 states.

Rather than going from company to company and getting a quote from each of them, Serenity’s experienced agents rate customers with all of the companies they represent to find the best rate and situation for that person. Serenity has extensive experience finding cheap car insurance rates for all customers and SR22 insurance is not their only business. Serenity can offer complete insurance packages for the homeowner, renter, motorcycle or ATV rider, Recreational vehicle owner,or an umbrella policy.

Serenity’s Online Quote request form can be found here:

To contact an insurance agent, call 1-800-546-5470

About Serenity Insurance Group

Serenity Insurance began as a unique insurance agency primarily focused on serving the specialized insurance needs for drivers with alcohol related offenses. Mr. Thomas A. Black, the founder and CEO of Serenity Insurance has over 30 years experience in the insurance business. Mr. Black believes that when people make a serious mistake and get an alcohol related offense they need an insurance agency that understands what is involved from society’s point of view as well as from the offenders point of view. Serenity Insurance helps people get back on their feet by acting as a resource for answers related to SR-22 insurance and providing affordable insurance. Serenity now serves 47 states and is committed to treating all people with dignity and respect while maintaining complete confidentiality.

Serenity works very closely with Alcohol Treatment Centers supporting their efforts to get offenders back on their feet as contributing members of society as quickly as possible. Serenity stands firmly committed to providing caring confidential service combined with affordable insurance for people requiring an SR22 filing.

Contact:
Serenity Insurance
1-800-546-5470

Source: Cheap Car Insurance Leader Adds Insurance Policy Options in 42 States

Technorati Tags: ATV Insurance, Cheap Car Insurance, Cheap Insurance, Homeowner’s Insurance, Renter’s Insurance, RV Insurance, Umbrella Insurance Policies

Serenity Group can now be found on Myspace.  Although MySpace is a social networking website that is predominantly seen as music related, it can be used for much more.

Visit the Serenity Group Myspace page and you can add us as a friend, Meet Featured Employee Kevin Corcoran, see who our other friends are, view a slideshow of pictures of our employees, read our blog articles and more.

Please visit the site and give us feedback on what you think, say hi to your favorite insurance agent, or would like to see what’s new or let us know what you are thinking.

If you need a quote you can pick up the phone and call us at 1-800-774-0520 or visit the web site at http://www.serenitygroup.com/ to chat live with an agent, have an agent call you or fill out the Quick Quote Form.

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Man charged with DWI on lawn mower

Staff Report

Mount Airy police charged a local man Monday night with driving while impaired on a lawn mower.

Roger Allen Beall, 40, of 118 Efland Lane, drew the suspicion of a city policeman while traveling west on East Pine Street N.C. 103 about 8 p.m. Monday on a black Craftsman DYT4000 riding mower.

The mower allegedly was weaving on the right side of the roadway as Beall headed into the city limits, according to a report filed by Officer J.W. Watson. A 24-ounce beer also was observed in the cup holder of the mower, based on the report.

Technorati Tags: Drunk Driving, DWI

Nicole Richie says she regrets her DUI conviction — and will never forgive herself for driving under the influence of alcohol.

The socialite — who spent just 80 minutes in jail last year after she was caught driving the wrong way down a Los Angeles freeway — can’t escape the thought she could have killed someone.

She explains, “We were watching the news once and they happened to be talking about drunk drivers. They started flashing up pictures of little children that had been killed by people driving under the influence.

“At that moment I literally felt like the worst person in the world for even trying to get out of that situation. That was our first real parent moment.”

Source

The Simple Life star says she will never forgive herself for driving under the influence of alcohol. Nicole Richie — who spent just 80 minutes in jail last year after she was caught driving the wrong way down a Los Angeles freeway — can’t escape the thought she could have killed someone. Nicole has vowed never to get in trouble with the law again as she wants to set a good example for her daughter with Joel Madden, Harlow Winter Kate (5 months).

Source

You can get Cheap Car Insurance without a lot of excess fees and charges from Serenity Insurance Group’s fast and friendly agents by visiting their website, by live chat with an agent online, by a one click request for an agent to call you or by calling them directly at 1-800-774-0520.

Technorati Tags: Articles and News, Celebrity DUI, DUI, DUI conviction, Nicole Richie

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

Announces 72 WINNERS OF 2009 TOP SAFETY PICK AWARDS

ALMOST EVERY CATEGORY FROM MINICAR TO LARGE PICKUP HAS A WINNER

ARLINGTON,VA —Seventy-two vehicles earn the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s TOP SAFETY PICK award for 2009. This is more than double the number of 2008 recipients and more than 3 times the number of 2007 winners. TOP SAFETY PICK recognizes vehicles that do the best job of protecting people in front, side, and rear crashes based on good ratings in Institute tests. Winners also have to have electronic stability control (ESC), which research shows significantly reduces crash risk.

For the first time ever, winners represent every class of vehicle the Institute tests except microcars. Most car, minivan, and SUV models, midsize convertibles, and small and large pickups are eligible. Ford and its subsidiary Volvo have 16 winners, including the Ford F-150 large pickup. Thirteen winners are from Honda and its Acura division. The Honda Fit with optional ESC is the first minicar to earn TOP SAFETY PICK.

Honda, Acura, and Subaru, which picked up 4 awards, are standouts for 2009 because they have at least 1 TOP SAFETY PICK in every vehicle class in which they compete.

“Consumers are the biggest winners,” says Institute president Adrian Lund. “No matter what kind of vehicle buyers may be considering, now they can walk into just about any dealership and find one that affords the best overall protection in serious crashes.”

Front and side impacts are the most common kinds of fatal crashes, killing about three-quarters of the 28,896 passenger vehicle occupants who died in 2007. Rear-end crashes usually aren’t fatal, but they result in a large proportion of crash

Large cars

Acura RL
Audi A6
Cadillac CTS
Ford Taurus
Lincoln MKS
Mercury Sable
Toyota Avalon
Volvo S80

Midsize cars

Acura TL, TSX
Audi A3, A4
BMW 3 series

4-door

Ford Fusion
with optional ESC
Honda Accord

4-door
Mercedes C class
Mercury Milan

with optional ESC
Saab 9-3
Subaru Legacy
Volkswagen Jetta, Passat

Midsize convertibles

Saab 9-3
Volkswagen Eos
Volvo C70

Small cars

Honda Civic
4-door with optional ESC (except Si)

Mitsubishi Lancer
with optional ESC

Scion xB

Subaru Impreza
with optional ESC

Toyota Corolla
with optional ESC

Volkswagen Rabbit
4-door

Minicar

Honda Fit
with optional ESC

Minivans

Honda Odyssey
Hyundai Entourage
Kia Sedona

Large SUVs

Audi Q7
Buick Enclave
Chevrolet Traverse
GMC Acadia
Saturn Outlook

Midsize SUVs

Acura MDX, RDX
BMW X3, X5
Ford Edge, Flex, Taurus X
Honda Pilot
Hyundai Santa Fe, Veracruz
Infiniti EX35
Lincoln MKX
Mercedes M class
Nissan Murano
Saturn VUE
Subaru Tribeca
Toyota FJ Cruiser, Highlander
Volvo XC90

Small SUVs

Ford Escape
Honda CR-V, Element
Mazda Tribute
Mercury Mariner
Mitsubishi Outlander
Nissan Rogue
Subaru Forester
Toyota RAV4
Volkswagen Tiguan

Large pickups

Ford F-150
Honda Ridgeline
Toyota Tundra

Small pickup

Toyota Tacoma

injuries. Neck sprain or strain is the most commonly reported injury in two-thirds of insurance claims for injuries in all kinds of crashes.

Automakers improve protection: TOP SAFETY PICK provides an incentive for manufacturers to offer safer vehicle designs that go far beyond basic federal standards.

“In order to win, automakers have beefed up the side structures of vehicles and added side airbags to do a better job of protecting people in serious side crashes,” Lund says. “They’re rapidly adding ESC to prevent crashes, and they’re designing seats and head restraints that do a better job of protecting against whiplash.”

The changes are evident in the safety equipment that is increasingly standard. For the 2009 model year, 84 percent of passenger cars, 99 percent of SUVs, and 23 percent of pickups have standard side airbags with head protection. The same is true for ESC. It’s standard on 74 percent of passenger cars, 99 percent of SUVs, and 37 percent of pickups.

Crash avoidance is required: The Institute began the TOP SAFETY PICK program in 2006, initially giving out 2 tiers of awards. Gold winners scored good ratings for front, side, and rear crash protection. Silver winners had good ratings in front and side tests and acceptable ratings in rear evaluations.

For 2007, the Institute raised the bar to win ALSO-RANS by requiring good rear impact results and ESC These 26 vehicles earn good ratings in front and side crash tests. They have ESC, as either standard or optional equipment. ESC standard or optional. They would be 2009 helps drivers maintain control of their vehiclesTOP SAFETY PICK winners if their seat/ head restraints also earn good ratings: in the worst situation — loss of control at high Chevrolet Malibu speed — by engaging automatically when it senses Chrysler Sebring, Sebring convertible, vehicle instability and helping to bring a vehicle Town & Country Dodge Avenger, Grand Caravan back in the intended line of travel. ESC lowers Infiniti G35, M35 the risk of a fatal single-vehicle crash by aboutKia Amanti Lexus ES, GS, IS half, and it lowers the risk of a fatal rollover Mazda CX-7, CX-9 crash by as much as 70 percent.Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder, Endeavor Nissan Altima, Pathfinder, Quest, Xterra Saturn AURA Rear, side performance still lags: Crash tests have driven Smart Fortwo major improvements in the designs of all kindsToyota 4Runner, Camry, Prius, Sienna and sizes of passenger vehicles. The Institute began conducting frontal tests for consumer in formation in 1995. Side tests were added in 2003 and rear tests in 2004. Most vehicles earn good ratings based on the frontal crash test, but significant differences remain among vehicles’ performance in side and rear tests.

Twenty-six models fall short of earning TOP SAFETY PICK because of inadequate head restraint designs. The Smart Fortwo, the only microcar in the US market, missed because of its head restraints. The same goes for Toyota’s hybrid Prius, which performed well in the Institute’s front and side crash tests but came up short for rear crash protection.

Chrysler is the only major automaker lacking a single TOP SAFETY PICK. It could have picked up 5 awards if the head restraints were better in the Dodge Avenger and Chrysler Sebring, the Sebring convertible, and the Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country.

A 2008 Institute analysis of insurance claims found that, all other factors being the same, drivers of vehicles with seat/head restraint combinations rated good in Institute evaluations were 15 percent less likely to sustain neck injuries in rear-end crashes than drivers of vehicles with poor head restraints.

Eleven vehicles missed the mark because they didn’t earn a good rating for occupant protection in side crashes. Many of these vehicles are smaller cars whose size puts them at a disadvantage in the challenging test compared with larger, heavier vehicles.

“Still, the sheer number of this year’s winners indicates that automakers have made huge strides to improve crash protection to achieve TOP SAFETY PICK designation,” Lund says. “For years Toyota had more also-rans than winners. For 2009 this automaker has come on strong by updating seats and head restraints in the Avalon, Corolla, FJ Cruiser, and RAV4 to earn good ratings. Volkswagen has done the same with the Eos, Jetta, Passat, and Rabbit.”

Winners include 8 large cars, 13 midsize cars, 6 small cars, 1 minicar, 3 midsize convertibles, and 3 minivans. Among SUVs, 19 are midsize, 10 are small, and 5 are large. The 2008 Toyota Tundra was the first large pickup to earn TOP SAFETY PICK. For 2009, the Tundra is joined by the Ford F-150 and the Honda Ridgeline. The Toyota Tacoma is the only small pickup winner.

Each year the Institute offers to test TOP SAFETY PICK candidates early in the model year. The policy is for manufacturers to reimburse the Institute for the cost of vehicles if the tests aren’t part of the group’s regular schedule. TOP SAFETY PICK is presented by vehicle size because size and weight are closely related, and both influence how well occupants will be protected in serious crashes. Larger, heavier vehicles generally afford better protection in crashes than smaller, lighter ones.

“Just because small cars are TOP SAFETY PICKS doesn’t make them as crashworthy as larger vehicles,” Lund says. “Rather, it’s all the more important to choose a small car that rates highly for safety because you give up the protection of size and weight.”

How vehicles are evaluated: The Institute’s frontal crashworthiness evaluations are based on results of 40 mph frontal offset crash tests. Each vehicle’s overall evaluation is based on measurements of intrusion into the occupant compartment, injury measures recorded on a Hybrid III dummy in the driver seat, and analysis of slow-motion film to assess how well the restraint system controlled dummy movement during the test.

Side evaluations are based on performance in a crash test in which the side of a vehicle is struck by a barrier moving at 31 mph. The barrier represents the front end of a pickup or SUV. Ratings reflect injury measures recorded on two instrumented SID-IIs dummies, assessment of head protection countermeasures, and the vehicle’s structural performance during the impact.

Rear crash protection is rated according to a two-step procedure. Starting points for the ratings are measurements of head restraint geometry — the height of a restraint and its horizontal distance behind the back of the head of an average-size man. Seat/ head restraints with good or acceptable geometry are tested dynamically using a dummy that measures forces on the neck. This test simulates a collision in which a stationary vehicle is struck in the rear at 20 mph. Seats without good or acceptable geometry are rated poor overall because they can’t be positioned to protect many people.

For more information go to www.iihs.org

Technorati Tags: 2009, automobile, automotive, safety, SAFETY PICK AWARDS, winners