Every year, I get a number of new patients from car accidents. In variably, I ask what kind of car they were driving and the models vary from Fords to Volvo. Some people walk away from horrific accidents with nothing more than a few scatches while others in fender benders can hardly move their necks for weeks. There seems to be little rhyme or reason for the differences.
When choosing a vehicle, I advocate that we must consider safety first, cost second, and amenities/options third. Too often, we get fooled by marketing efforts to buy a gas guzzling, expensive, and unsafe vehicle. Some of you maybe greener than others and choose a hybrid or diesel, but as a chiropractor who deals with car accidents victims, its a tradegy to have chronic neck pain as a result of an improperly constructed head restraint. The same amount of due diligence is required for buying a car that protects your body (especially your spine) as when you buy a car seat for your newborn child.
Here are safest cars for 2008 www.iihs.org
Please note, not all manufactured cars were tested by the Institute. Another list is found at http://www.forbes.com/2007/05/11/car-safe-vehicle-forbeslife-cx_dl_0514safecars.html