When it comes to cars, is it true that bigger is always better -- and safer? Based on an April 2009 study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the answer to this longstanding question is a resounding yes. The study shows that larger, heavy-duty vehicles are fundamentally safer than smaller, lightweight cars.
Considering recent announcements, this revelation is more important than ever. This May, President Obama unveiled his massive fuel efficiency plan. Under the new standards, auto makers will be ordered to increase the fuel economy of vehicles sold in the U.S. to 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016. This means manufacturers will have to produce smaller, more lightweight, fuel-efficient vehicles.
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Although supporters of the plan say it will help cut our nation’s greenhouse-gas emissions, opponents argue that the mandate will result in thousands more Americans dying or becoming seriously injured in auto accidents. Critics say that the number of auto fatalities could swell if hordes of “unsafe” subcompacts hit the road in coming years.
The physics behind car crashes
Why are bigger cars intrinsically safer? It all comes down to physics. According to the IIHS report, “These tests are about the physics of car crashes, which dictate that very small cars generally can’t protect people in crashes as well as bigger, heavier models.”
Based on the law of physics, when a large object crashes into a smaller object, the larger object creates a greater impact. This rule holds true for car crashes, as confirmed by the IIHS study.
For this study, the IIHS conducted three front-to-front crash tests, each involving a microcar or minicar colliding with a midsize model from the same manufacturer. The Institute did not use SUVs, pickup trucks, or even large cars to pair with the micros and minis in the tests. “The choice of midsize cars reveals how much influence some extra size and weight can have on crash outcomes,” the report explains.
Instead, the Institute chose pairs of 2009 models from Daimler, Honda, and Toyota because these auto makers have micro and mini models that have earned good frontal crash ratings in barrier tests.
According to the final IIIHS report, “In a collision involving two vehicles that differ in size and weight, the people in the smaller, lighter vehicle will be at a disadvantage. The bigger, heavier vehicle will push the smaller, lighter one backward during the impact. This means there will be less force on the occupants of the heavier vehicle and more on the people in the lighter vehicle. Greater force means greater risk, so the likelihood of injury goes up in the smaller, lighter vehicle.”
Real-world car crash statistics confirm this theory. In 2007, the death rate in one to three-year-old minicars involved in multiple-vehicle crashes was nearly twice as high as the rate in large cars.
Good engineering makes a difference
Despite the recent IIHS study, some experts point out that vehicle safety doesn’t come down to car size alone. They say that quality engineering and design are more important to vehicle safety than the actual car size. Added safety features, such as front and side airbags, seatbelts with pre-tensioners and force-limiters, rollover prevention mechanisms, head restraints, and crash avoidance systems can also improve a vehicle’s safety greatly.
Experts also say the size of a vehicle’s front end can determine how the car fares in a crash. If a lighter vehicle is engineered with a large front end, creating a bigger space between the front of the vehicle and the front seat, the car would be much safer. That’s because a car with a large “crush space” decreases the severity of an impact and reduces the force to the car’s occupants.
Plus, auto makers can also reduce a vehicle’s weight without losing too much structural integrity by using aluminum, titanium, or plastic. Unfortunately, most manufacturers steer clear of these materials because they carry a high price tag.
AVOID CAR ACCIDENTS AT ALL COSTS
On average, there are more than six million auto accidents on U.S. roads every year. Sadly, 34,017 of these crashes proved to be fatal in 2008, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Based on these shocking statistics, it might seem inevitable that we’ll all suffer from an auto accident at some point.
However, there are numerous precautions you can take when you’re behind the wheel to reduce your risk of having an accident. Auto insurance experts implore drivers to wear their seatbelts, drive defensively, closely follow driving laws and be considerate to other drivers. Read on for more driving safety tips that will help you steer clear of auto accidents.
Keep your eyes on the road. When you’re behind the wheel, it’s extremely important to stay focused on the road at all times. The NHTSA reports that driving distractions cause up to 4,300 accidents every day in the U.S. That’s why you shouldn’t take your eyes off the road for even a moment, whether you’re changing radio stations or dialing a number on your cell phone. Safety experts say you should pull over to a safe place on the side of the road if you need to do any of the following:
Pick up an item you dropped
Change CDs
Look at a map
Eat or drink
Change radio stations
Dial a number, talk on the phone, or send a text message
Read a newspaper
Apply makeup, comb your hair, or take care of any other personal grooming
Just say no to road rage. Safety experts say drivers should also avoid aggressive driving. Be courteous to other cars on the road, and control your road rage. Although it might be tempting to yell and gesture at another driver who cuts you off on the highway, try to keep your cool. If you antagonize an aggressive driver, the situation could escalate quickly. If you fear that another driver is putting you at risk, call the police immediately.
Try to remain polite on the road. There seems to be a common phenomenon where people who are generally well-mannered in every day life lose their sense of common courtesy when they’re behind the wheel. You probably see it every day during your commute. For example, when you turn on your signal to switch lanes, the driver in the next lane speeds up and blocks you in. Although it can be easy to lose your temper in this situation, you’re better off letting them pass than trying to cut them off. After all, countless accidents occur every day because of aggressive driving.
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Top 10 safety tips. Follow these top 10 safety tips to reduce your risk of having an auto accident:
Never drive after you drink alcohol, even if you’ve just had one or two drinks.
Don’t give in to distractions, such as playing with your iPod, reading a text message, or picking up a toy your child dropped in the backseat.
Avoid road rage. If you come across an aggressive driver, don’t antagonize or encourage them. Keep your cool and call the police if the driver is putting other motorists at risk.
Keep a safe distance between your car and the vehicle in front of you. For every 10 miles per hour of your driving speed, leave at least one car length between your car and the car in front of you.
Try to maintain a consistent speed. Don’t continually slow down and speed up unless the posted speed limit changes.
Keep your car in tip-top shape. Get regular oil changes and tune ups and check the condition of your tires at least once a month.
Stay alert when you drive through intersections. Most accidents occur in intersections, so be sure to look left, then right, then left again to make sure it is safe to pass through.
Keep your side mirrors and rear-view mirrors adjusted properly. As you drive, check your side and rear-view mirrors every 15 seconds to make sure you’re in the clear.
Be aware of road conditions and react appropriately. For example, turn on your lights if you’re driving at dusk or dawn or in the rain. If the roads are wet, snowy or icy and you feel your car starting to hydroplane, don’t brake suddenly or turn the steering wheel. This could send you into a skid. Instead, ease off the gas pedal slowly and steer straight until you feel your tires regain traction.
Sign up for a defensive driving class. With the proper training, you’ll be able to react more quickly to potential accidents on the road.
REPLACEMENT COST VALUE VS. ACTUAL CASH VALUE – UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCES
Homeowners insurance policyholders usually have the option to insure to actual cash value (ACV) or replacement cost value (RCV). To make the best decision, the individual first needs to gain a clear understanding of the difference between the two policy options.
In a nutshell, the difference between RCV and ACV is wear and tear; otherwise known as depreciation. ACV considers that the lost property has most likely depreciated over time, and endeavors to insert depreciation into the equation. For instance, suppose the ruined property was a sofa that would cost $700 to replace. Even though the sofa was in good shape for a 10-year-old piece of furniture, it was definitely not brand new. In 10 years time, some wear and tear inevitably occurred. With ACV, the insurance company might determine that $30 of depreciation occurred each year since the sofa was purchased. In this case, the sofa would only be valued at $400 at the time of the loss. The company would pay you $400 minus any applicable deductible. In a sense, you would be paying an increased deductible in the form of the $300 of depreciation. To summarize ACV, the insured would pay the difference between the replacement cost, the amount the old sofa depreciated by, and any deductible. In essence, the policyholder is “co-insuring” that amount.
On the other hand, RCV is simply the cost of replacing the lost property with either an identical or similar piece of property. Using our sofa example, if it costs $700 to replace the sofa, the insurance company will pay you the $700 minus any applicable deductible. Even though the ruined sofa was showing its age, and could never be sold for $700, RCV allows the policyholder to recoup the value of a brand new replacement sofa.
Which option is best? This question cuts to the core of what insurance is all about: Making the insured whole again. In some cases, ACV falls short. Conversely, RCV can create an overly beneficial situation for the insured. Not including sentimental value, if the sofa is old and dilapidated, but the insurance covers RCV, it is obvious that the policyholder will benefit greatly by receiving enough funds to purchase a brand new sofa to replace the old one.
An old house that has been damaged severely by a fire could provide a more dramatic example of RCV. At the time of the fire, the house might have only been worth $200,000, because the components of the house (such as roof, flooring, HVAC etc.) were approaching the end of their life span. In this case, the house would increase in value as the old worn-out components were replaced with brand new ones. So the homeowner would be better off in terms of the value of their home, than if the fire had never occurred at all.
Some insurers stipulate that all repairs must be completed in order to obtain the full replacement cost of the property. They might decide to pay the ACV up front, and have the rest of the payment (the difference between RCV and ACV) contingent on all repair work being completed. This keeps the insured from pocketing the money and gaining financially from the loss.
There is at least one caveat regarding the benefits of RCV, however. Since the real estate market can fluctuate quite a bit, sometimes RCV turns out to be less than ACV. When the housing market is strong, and home prices are high, the actual cash value can be higher than the cost of replacing a home with one that has similar features and qualities. Therefore, the additional cost of purchasing RCV might be a bad decision. As always, consult with our agents to see which option is right for you.
