How to choose

When shopping for any new vehicle, choose one with good front-and side- crash ratings within its class. Most classes of vehicle offer many good choices, so usually you needn't compromise on safety.

The vast majority of new cars earn four or five NHTSA stars in those measures. Such a limited performance spectrum limits the usefulness of the ratings themselves. The IIHS's more-demanding crash tests can better help to narrow down your car choices. Other things being equal, choose a vehicle that the IIHS rates Good or Acceptable in each of its tests.

As crash-test results show, side-impact air bags are an essential safety feature, and side air bags that protect the head and the chest are preferable to those that protect only the chest.

Ultimately, safety is active and passive, balancing the ability to avoid an accident and to survive one. In addition to air bags, belts, and structural integrity, studies have shown that electronic stability control (ESC) is another effective life-saving technology.

For a convenient way to narrow your shopping list, turn to Consumer Reports' recommendations, which factor in accident avoidance (incorporating emergency handling and braking) and crash protection (a composite of NHTSA and IIHS crash-test results).

The recommendations come in two forms, depending on what is known from crash testing. To earn our standard recommendation,  a vehicle must have good overall crash protection if crash-tested. SUVs and pickups must either have been included in the government's dynamic rollover test and not tipped over or be equipped with ESC. In addition, the vehicle must have scored well in our road-test program and have average or better reliability.

To earn our more stringent top recommendation,  a vehicle must have done well in the IIHS frontal-offset and side-crash tests. That recommendation is intended to provide an extra level of assurance for consumers who place the highest priority on crash protection.