Consumer Reports Safety Assessment Finds Most Vehicles Safer than in Past Years; CR's April Auto Issue Also Offers Road Safety Tips 3/8/2004
From: Alberto G. Rojas, 914-378-2434; e-mail: arojas@consumer.org; Douglas Love, 914-378-2437; e-mail: dlove@consumer.org, both of Consumer Reports YONKERS, N.Y., March 8 -- The latest Consumer Reports Safety Assessment (CRSA) has found that it's now easier for a consumer to find a vehicle with a high safety rating. The Annual April Auto Issue of Consumer Reports rates 21 sedans as "Excellent" overall, compared with only 9 three years ago, when the magazine introduced the Safety Assessment. The number of SUV's rated "Excellent" also went up to 11 from 2 during the same three-year span. Consumer Reports developed its Safety Assessment to help consumers compare the overall safety of models within the same weight and size category. CRSA helps car-shoppers choose a safer vehicle by combining crash-test results produced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a government agency, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), an organization sponsored by the insurance industry, with Consumer Reports' accident-avoidance performance ratings. Consumer Reports' accident avoidance ratings are based on its own test results for braking performance and emergency handling in addition to its evaluations for acceleration, visibility, driving position, and seat comfort. Consumer Reports only includes vehicles in its CRSA for which it has both IIHS frontal-offset- crash results and at least one of the frontal or side impact crash results from NHTSA in addition to its own performance tests. "Consumer Reports Safety Assessment makes it easier for consumers to compare overall vehicle safety," said David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports Auto Test facility in East Haddam, Connecticut. "There's nothing that can guarantee complete safety in all situations. But drivers and passengers may be able to reduce risk of injury traveling in vehicles ranked at the top of the CRSA." This year's higher ratings are the result of general improvements in both crash-protection and accident avoidance scores. Sequentially, these reflect improved crash-test results, better designs, and the proliferation of advanced safety features, such as stability control, head-protection, side air- bags, and more. o How To Use The CRSA The highest-scoring models generally have rated well in both accident avoidance and crash protection. A model with a low overall score is not inherently unsafe, but a higher-scoring vehicle can improve your chances of avoiding or surviving a crash, compared with another that scored significantly lower. A vehicle's CRSA scores should be compared only with those of vehicles within the same weight and size category. Each model's overall score and individual rating apply to the version tested. They can be used as a guide to other models that have the same basic design and configuration as the tested model. Here are the top-ranked models in each of the CR Safety Assessment's six categories. The vehicles below are listed in order of their respective overall scores, with the top-ranked vehicle appearing first: -- Family Sedans: Mazda6 s (V6), Volkswagen Passat GLX (V6), Mazda6 i (4-cyl.) -- Small Sedans: Honda Civic EX, Volkswagen Golf TDI, Volkswagen Jetta GLS TDI -- Upscale & Large Sedans: Lexus IS300, Mercedes-Benz C320, Audi A4 3.0 Quattro -- Minivans: Honda Odyssey EX, Ford Freestar SEL/Mercury Monterey, Nissan Quest 3.5 SL -- Small Sport-Utility Vehicles: Subaru Forester 2.5 X, Saturn VUE (V6), Honda Element EX -- Midsized Sport-Utility Vehicles: Lexus RX330, Chrysler Pacifica, Nissan Murano 3.5 SE The CRSA findings are published in Consumer Reports' Annual April Auto Issue, which is on sale from March 9 through June 9. The magazine is available wherever magazines are sold and may also be ordered online at ConsumerReports.org. o Road Safety: The Risks of Drowsy Driving Drowsy driving is blamed for 100,000 accidents, 71,000 injuries and 1,550 deaths in the U.S. each year. People who sleep six to seven hours a night the norm for many Americans are nearly twice as likely to have a fatigue-related accident as those who sleep eight hours or more, according to a 1999 study by the University of North Carolina's Highway Safety Research Center and School of Medicine. Like alcohol, fatigue slows reaction time and impairs judgement and vision. Being up for 24 hours is akin to being legally drunk. Getting enough sleep is the best way to avoid drowsy driving: Aim for 8 hours a night. Other factors that can make you drowsy include: Circadian rhythms, late-night driving, long trips, monotonous roads, alcohol, medications (antianxiety, narcotics, some antihistamines), and medical disorders that prevent you from getting enough sleep, such as sleep apnea. If you find yourself fighting fatigue behind the wheel, the two best tactics are to either stop for the night or have someone else take over the driving. The drowsy driving report will be available free on ConsumerReports.org. To subscribe to Consumer Reports, call 1-800-234-1645. Information and articles from Consumer Reports can be accessed online at ConsumerReports.org. Consumer Reports is one of the most trusted sources for information and advice on consumer products and services. CR has the most comprehensive auto-test program and reliability survey data of any U.S. publication; its auto experts have decades of experience in driving, testing, and reporting on cars. --- HOW CONSUMER REPORTS (CR) TESTS CARS: -- CR maintains its IMPARTIALITY by buying all the cars it tests, accepting no ads, and barring the commercial use of its reports. -- CR automotive EXPERTS test all cars at our track and on public roads, for performance, convenience, and comfort, with safety in mind. -- CR surveys its subscribers to provide RELEVANT information on auto reliability, dealer satisfaction, and more. -- CR is published by Consumers Union, an INDEPENDENT, NON- PROFIT champion for consumers. --- The material above is intended for legitimate news entities only; it may not be used for commercial or promotional purposes. Consumer Reports(r) is published by Consumers Union, an expert, independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves. To achieve this mission, we test, inform, and protect. To maintain our independence and impartiality, CU accepts no outside advertising, no free test samples, and has no agenda other than the interests of consumers. CU supports itself through the sale of our information products and services, individual contributions, and a few noncommercial grants. |