Insurance Institute Highway Safety -Top Safety Pick 2008 award winners.

WOW, I would have expected to find more American Cars in the list. The IIHS actually has crash safety figures for the last 10 years on all domestic and imported vehicles. The auto safety report below is for 2008 and previous years are below that as a link.

Many of the safety tests are for both 40mph frontal crashes and low speed crashes, here are a few note worthy ones…
Minivan bumper test results: Nissan Quest is by far the worst performer (2007)

Bumpers on luxury cars aren’t luxurious: worst is Infiniti G35; 4 of 11 cars sustain more than $10,000 damage in 4 minor bumps (2007)

most car bumpers don’t work in low-speed crashes; 3 cars sustain $4,500 damage in 6 mph test while old Ford Escort sustains little damage (2007)

And the 2008 car safety all around winners are…..

Large cars

Audi A6

Cadillac CTS

Ford Taurus with optional electronic stability control

Mercury Sable with optional electronic stability control

Volvo S80

Midsize cars

Audi A3

Audi A4

Honda Accord 4-door models

Saab 9-3

Subaru Legacy with optional electronic stability control

Midsize convertibles

Saab 9-3

Volvo C70

Small car

Subaru Impreza with optional electronic stability control

Minivans

Honda Odyssey

Hyundai Entourage

Kia Sedona

Midsize SUVs

Acura MDX

Acura RDX

BMW X3

BMW X5

Ford Edge

Ford Taurus X

Honda Pilot

Hyundai Santa Fe

Hyundai Veracruz built after August 2007

Infiniti EX35

Lincoln MKX

Mercedes M class

Nissan Murano

Saturn VUE built after December 2007

Subaru Tribeca

Toyota Highlander

Volvo XC90

Small SUVs

Honda CR-V

Honda Element

Subaru Forester 2009 models

Large pickup

Toyota Tundra

Below are the automobile safety, collision ant theft reports for the last years I could find from the auto insurance industry.

Click Here (its a pdf) 2003 to 2005 insurance safety report for auto collision, car crash injury and auto theft

If you’re afraid of flying you may want to stay away from the high tech Ukrainian airplanes. Looks like they really do just throw a piece of tape over the problem and call it a day. A passenger on a Ukrainian flight took these pics of the duct tape holding the plane he was on together.