The Safest Cars for Children

Safety Ratings

• The National Traffic Highway Safety Administration rates all vehicles based on a series of crash tests. These include crash test ratings for the front, side and rear of vehicles that are predicted to be popular for the upcoming year. Each vehicle is assigned a star rating between one (the lowest) and five. A rating of five stars means the vehicle has a 10 percent or less chance of serious injury. These ratings are readily available on NTHSA's website. A five-star rating indicates the safest vehicles for you and your children.

Safety Features for Children

• Some safety features have been designed with young children in mind that may make travel feel safer and easier. Anchors and tethers in back seats, known by the acronym LATCH, can make child seats more secure as well as simpler to install. Adjustable shoulder belts on all back seats allow the seat belt to conform to the size of the child, keeping him or her protected like the adults.
  Child safety locks keep children from opening car doors while in motion. Window locks prevent all windows from behind open or closed. Push-pull window locks prevent windows from shutting on any limbs that may be out of the car, since pulling is necessary to roll up the window. Some vehicles also include an auto-reversal feature that stops windows from being rolled up if an object is in the way.

Safest Vans and Large SUVs

• The 2009 Honda Odyssey scored five stars in every crash test except four-stars in the rollover test. These high marks landed it on several safest car lists, including Kelley Blue Book and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Side air bags and safety power windows are a few of the features that make this car great for children.
  The 2009 Kia Sedona received the same marks as the Odyssey from NTHSA. Adjustable seat belts and side air bags for all rows put this car on the list.
  The 2009 Chevrolet Traverse, a large sport utility vehicle, appeared on the IIHS list of safest cars. With five-star ratings in all categories except four in rollover, this SUV ranks higher than most larger ones. LATCH child seat restraints come standard, as do safety power windows and adjustable seat belts for all seats in the vehicle.

Safest Small and Midsize SUVs

• The 2009 Acura MDX, a midsize SUV, made the 15 safest cars list in Forbes. This car, though priced a little higher than other SUVs of its size, has a comparatively low chance of rollover. Automatic window reversal comes standard, as does LATCH for child seats.
  A smaller and less expensive SUV, the Toyota RAV4, is a great safety value. Making the Kelley Blue Book list of top 10 family vehicles, the RAV4 comes standard with child-safe window locks and automatic reversal. The RAV4 scored especially well in side crash impact tests for both the front and back seats.

Safest Cars

• Honda topped the list for Forbes with five cars out of the 15 total selected. The 2009 Accord large sedan and the 2009 Civic small sedan four-door models made several other lists as well, including the IIHS. Both scored especially high in rear crash tests. The option for electronic stability control, which can prevent skids, is available for both models.
  The 2009 Subaru Impreza, a small sedan, comes standard with electronic stability control and rollover sensors, which deploy side airbags when a rollover begins to happen. The Impreza scored especially well in frontal crashes. Push-pull window switches and LATCH child seating keep the back seat safe.