Just Curious...............

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Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
2008 models will be required to show crash scores on window sticker

On a related note, here's a link to a recent Detroit Free Press article about how federal crash test scores and rollover ratings will be required on window stickers for new 2008 vehicles for sale in the U.S. next fall:

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060907/NEWS99/60907025

I realize many of us will research crash scores before ever setting foot on a dealership's lot. Having scores on the window sticker could be handy for all new car shoppers, and the increased visibility of these scores at the dealership can hopefully nudge car manufacturers toward improved safety in design and safety features.
 
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ajweeks

New member
This discussion makes me feel like a bad mom for not having "safer" cars.

I drive an '05 Ford Focus Wagon and while its side impact rating is poor, they didn't test it with the side airbags that I do have. The kids don't have airbags in the back, but they do have their car seats which I hope would keep them safer. Its frontal rating is good. I do like the car, the price was right and the cargo room is great, which is what we needed. It isn't the safest car, but isn't the worst either...It replaced a '96 Geo Prizm and I feel it is safer than that and much easier to install car seats in.

Our other car is in '01 Honda CR-V and those models actually have a lower frontal rating than the Focus. The newer models seem safer, but we can't just go out and buy a new car every 5 years.

I guess I'll just hope for the best...and BTW, I do research cars, but at the time those two options seemed like good choices for us.
 

SafeDad

CPSDarren - Admin
Staff member
ajweeks said:
This discussion makes me feel like a bad mom for not having "safer" cars.

I drive an '05 Ford Focus Wagon and while its side impact rating is poor, they didn't test it with the side airbags that I do have. The kids don't have airbags in the back, but they do have their car seats which I hope would keep them safer. Its frontal rating is good. I do like the car, the price was right and the cargo room is great, which is what we needed. It isn't the safest car, but isn't the worst either...It replaced a '96 Geo Prizm and I feel it is safer than that and much easier to install car seats in.

Our other car is in '01 Honda CR-V and those models actually have a lower frontal rating than the Focus. The newer models seem safer, but we can't just go out and buy a new car every 5 years.

I guess I'll just hope for the best...and BTW, I do research cars, but at the time those two options seemed like good choices for us.

Are you a bad parent if you smoke? If you own a house in a high crime rate area because you couldn't afford to live elsewhere? If you don't make your kids eat their vegetables? Sure it's possible, but I don't think the answer to these things or the kind of car you drive is going to make that determination.

People make choices for many reasons. In buying cars, safety is only one of many considerations. Just because car A scores better in crash tests and has more safety features than car B doesn't mean car B is a death trap. On the other hand, there are real differences in safety among vehicles that parents can fairly easily research before a purchase. Regardless of what you drive, the most important things are to restrain all your passengers correctly, drive unimpaired and drive undistracted. Those factors are far more important than your choice of vehicle or carseat. If you frequently drive drunk and leave your child unrestrained in the front seat of the ol' pickup next to the loaded guns on the rack, then I would definitely consider you a candidate for a bad parent award- or at the very least have little concern for the greatest risk to the child's life.

We drive a 2000 Subaru wagon. It turned out to be a reasonably safe model, but in 1999 when we bought it there were no crash results in the USA at all. Safety just wasn't one of the top things we considered back then, though things have changed since. Today there are certainly better options with higher scores and more features. I don't feel like a bad parent at all for putting our kids into the Subaru. I know they are still quite safe in a properly installed and used age-appropriate restraint in the back seat. Plus mom and dad never drive impaired and rarely distracted beyond the usual kid distractions. On the other hand, when we go to replace it, we will definitely limit our choices to vehicles with good crash scores that have features like side curtain airbags and stability control. A cone of silence for each of the kids would be handy, too.
 

Patriot201

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
Well stated, Darren!

That is the idea I was trying to communicate, but you did it much more eloquently.

Thank you!
 

flipper68

Senior Community Member
lovinwaves said:
When I was single(Prior to being married) I never had any problems picking out the safest car in its class. And now that I am married my husband and I ONLY PICK TOP SAFETY CARS. I don't see why it is that hard to pick a safe vehicle. Money doesn't always have something to do with it. Some of you have brought up good points about having large families, or needing to have a truck. All I am asking is why people don't pick the safest car on the market to fit their needs? Not everyone does that, but some people do.

Probably for the same reasons people:
  • smoke
  • drive after drinking alcohol/drink excessive amounts of alcohol
  • don't wear a seat belt
  • drive while talking on their cell phones
  • don't use turn signals
  • eat junk food/over eat . . .etc.
 

solmama

Active member
?

I drive a 1999 CR-V (the kids ride in this) and my husband and I share a 1990 Subaru Legacy to drive to work. If I could afford it I would drive the safest car on the market, whichever one that currently is (a tank?). I would put my kids in the safest car seats, have a fireproof home, and completely safe life, but I can't because life is inherently messy. It's a crazy, mad, world we live in and we're all caught up in whatever situation in which we've found ourselves. Every time I'm driving I am amazed at the number of people doing something in their vehicles other than driving (smoking, talking on cells, reading...etc)! If we could all be more attentive, to realize that others do exist, know our neighbors, care about ourselves, be compassionate, then perhaps we'd all be better drivers. It's not really cars that are safe or unsafe, it's the people who drive them. Like you and me.
 

Simplysomething

New member
I'm not too sensitive...lol

I wanted to add another response to this thread, because I'm up way late.

I needed to emphasize that I'm not too sensitive here, it just seems like this board, for the time I've been here (admittedly not THAT long) has always been pretty nice. Maybe because ya'll didn't want to scare away people who ask questions, or whatever.

I just wanted to say, I enjoy snarkyness, I'm just not used to it here. lol

(And I've seen some of you be a little snarky on another board which cracks me up, because I'm used to the more...um, "kid gloves" approach taken on this board. lol)


As for cars, we can feel bad for any number of reasons, as parents, guilt over something is almost a given. Was it here where I read that even the lowest scoring cars of today are far far more safe than the "safest" cars of 20 years ago? It's sometihng I found very interesting.

I still want a volvo. ;)

I used to want a camper, but now I'm terrified of them. AND? ITS ALL YOUR FAULT! lol (Seriously after reading how there are only two safe seating positions.... ugh). (A Camper was a dream things).
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
The URL included IIHS :confused: Not sure if it's about the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety ... but although the link took me to the consumer affairs website successfully it was a blank page -- is it just my computer doing this? :eek:
 

gobsmacked

New member
The link worked for me. That makes me glad I traded my Blazer in a long time ago. My dad gave me his old Blazer when I was in college, but I didn't like it so I traded it for a Honda Accord.

I'm also glad to see that the Odyssey is on the list with lowest driver deaths.
 

lovinwaves

New member
For those having problems with opening the link. You can just go to www.consumeraffairs.com Then type in the word "Blazer" in the search box. It will be the first article there listed called "Blazer most dangerous vehicle, Insurance Finds". Then go to the bottom of the article to the two charts. Hope this helps...:)
 

Morganthe

New member
I bought a 1999 Toyota Camry 4 door that was the first car I looked at last March. I bought it because we needed a car immediately the day our travel pay was deposited. The car that my hubby had shipped from Germany had starting difficulties. If it hadn't been a manual trans to push start, there would have been no way to get it going. Even jumping it wouldn't have worked since we now know the problem was a faulty ignition switch. There's little public transportation and renting a car ate up our money.

I tried to balance safety and what we could afford in an instant decision that I made from limited computer access to Consumer Reports. This town isn't that big and we couldn't head out of it at the time for more variety in affordable vehicles.

I don't dislike this car, but I don't have really any attachment to it. Neutral is what I feel after irritation for certain lack of amnenities, such as the small opening to the trunk when the seats are folded down. First time ever in 21 years of driving that I just don't care about the car I'm driving. It's so bland. The only time it has personality is when I punch that V-6 to get from the short on ramps on to the highway.

Perhaps the distancing feeling I have is because it's an automatic. I've always driven a manual except for work vehicles. It distances me from what's going on with my car, my speed, and it's harder to keep a focus on events around me... as much as I used to be. I understand now why there is such a problem with distractions such as cell phones, makeup, food, etc... With a stick shift, you HAVE to keep focused on what a car is doing. Both hands and 2 feet work constantly if you're in traffic. Odd, but I miss that interaction with my car. I also miss how it would slow down as soon as I took my foot off the gas. Nothing like that with an automatic.

I see everyone on here touting the benefits of keeping children rear facing for years and hope I"m not doing my daughter a grave disservice by having her ff at 3 years old. But there is no way we can fit one of those mondo toddler seats rfing in our Camry without compromising the driver's or front passenger's seating position. Does that make me a bad parent? I hope not. Only time will tell.

I think that as soon as I am financially able to within 2 or so years, I will look for a different car, hopefully, a wagon. Ideally, it would be another VW Passat since the seats support my back better than other cars do. I'd love one of those large wagon/small minivan styles, but the foot position hurts my bad ankle too quickly.

I will keep my daughter in the most comfortable and safe seat I possibly can. I will keep alert for anything out of the ordinary while I am driving. This mantra has served me well in 22 years of driving all over the world with no accidents. I'm not a perfect driver by all means, but who is? We make mistakes at times for many reasons. But by keeping safe reasonable distances and our cars in the best running shape they can be, hopefully our humanness can be overruled.
drive safe,
M
 

SafeDad

CPSDarren - Admin
Staff member
Morganthe said:
I see everyone on here touting the benefits of keeping children rear facing for years and hope I"m not doing my daughter a grave disservice by having her ff at 3 years old. But there is no way we can fit one of those mondo toddler seats rfing in our Camry without compromising the driver's or front passenger's seating position. Does that make me a bad parent? I hope not. Only time will tell.
M

A front-facing seat with a 5-point harness is safe for anyone above 12 months and 1 year old, provided it is installed and used correctly. It's great to keep kids rear facing longer, but a FF seat is definitely age appropriate for 2 and 3 year olds.

We have statistics that show the reductions of injuries and/or fatalties for things like using age appropriate child restraints, keeping kids in the back seat, driving unimpaired, frontal airbags, side airbags, stability control, good crash test results and other factors. We do not (yet) have any similarly compelling evidence for keeping kids rear-facing that far beyond the minimum of 1 year and 20 pounds.
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
Aha -- Blazer.... Yes, I had one & when I began to research it's safety I became scared pantless to drive that thing :rolleyes: So, I traded it in 1st chance I got, but that begins a whole new thread on my hate for dealerships :p
 

RubysGirl

New member
Seriously? Some people are not capable. We're well below the poverty line. We can't get ahead to replace my car. Even if we could, we couldnt' afford the insurance. I'd be paying 5 times as much for my insurance in a new vehicle. We can't do that. I can't afford an extra 500 dollars every single month a newer, safe car, would cost me. I can afford the one expenditure to buy a safe carseat.

Hell, all we have after rent, utilities, gas, and car insurance is less than 300 dollars. Most of that is for food. How am I supposed to fit in a car payment and up in insurance, not to mention up in gas, since I'm sure I'd be sacrificing milage for safety. (important too, we drive over 2k miles a month)
 

RubysGirl

New member
Thanks, I tell myself that, butsometimes it isnt' enough.

I have a lot of anxiety about my car as it is. I just read the OP and it seemed very short sighted and snarky. It kind of smacked me in the face, yk? I would be driving a safer car, if I could afford it. I'm still driving my first car, the one that was given to me by a relative. I'm thankfull I have it, because we'd have nothing without it. I AM doing the best I can for my family.
 

Lea_Ontario

Well-known member
I have a lot of anxiety about my car as it is.
You aren't alone in that feeling. We're not far off of you in the financial department after paying rent, insurance, bills, etc. And that money is earmarked for food and such as well.

I just read the OP and it seemed very short sighted and snarky. It kind of smacked me in the face, yk?
It WAS. No way around that.

I would be driving a safer car, if I could afford it.
Exactly !
 

stayinhomewithmy6

Senior Community Member
I've been reading these posts, not wanting to add my own, until now. I whole-heartedly agree with Kashi & RubysGirl. We're all doing the best we can. The OP gave me a sinking feeling, too, like those of us who can't afford the best don't care about the safety & well being of our families. I had to save up for MONTHS to buy my new BV so that DS could be harnessed past 40 lbs. I would love to have a new vehicle with side curtain airbags and latch, but I probably won't ever be able to have anything like that (well, maybe in 10 years when I can buy one USED!)
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
I AM doing the best I can for my family.

I can say that for me, my best changes from moment to moment....

Last year, financially I was doing rather well -- new vehicle & had just the year before bought my own house (at only 24 years old!). Before that, though I was trying to support a family of 5 on only my 1 income -- financial improvement came from leaving that dangerous relationship (having my 1 & only biodaughter + me to care for) :eek:

Right now I'm in a healthy relationship, but my SO is moving to another state for work & I'm staying here with my DD ... trying to maintain a mortgage (with tenants who haven't paid, so we have a court date on Halloween *FUN*) + rent + the new car bills without any income other than from the 3 kids' families I babysit for.

I am however buying a Ride Safer Travel vest because it will allow me to use in any vehicle, but I'll likely sell the 3 spare seats I have if the daycare kids' parents do not wish me to participate in local community activities (library, zoo, musem, etc. with their children).

I'm doing the best I can & have the support of family, but a lot of people don't have that! Even with foodstamps & family support I think my vehicle will be reposessed & we'll find ourselves using only public transportation :confused: :(
 
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