Think These Cars Are Safe? Think Again

Car safety is an area in which technology is constantly improving. Seat belts, air bags, crumple zones, and other technological advances have combined to drive both the injury rate and the fatality rate in vehicles ever lower. It's never been a safer time to get behind the wheel of a new car.

That said, some vehicles are still safer than others... often to a unpleasantly surprising degree. And a recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety -- one of the most respected safety authorities out there -- demonstrated that when it comes to safety, you don't necessarily get what you pay for.

About the Study
They tested a collection of 2013 model sedans; both family sedans from companies such as Toyota and Honda, and high-end luxury sedans from marques such as Audi and Lexus. The cars were ranked as “good,” “acceptable,” “marginal,” or “poor” in a variety of crash situations, such as rollovers, side impacts, and front crashes.

At specific issue were “overlap” or “partial” collisions, namely where the front of a car doesn't fully hit a barrier or obstacle, but only part of it. This is problematic for many cars because it means one crumple zone has to absorb all the kinetic energy.

The Results
Let's start with the good news for those of us who plan to get a good, reliable mid-size family sedan. The Honda Accord 4-door sedan got a good rating across the board, while the Chrysler 200, Dodge Avenger, Accord 2-door, Kia Optima, Ford Fusion, Subaru Legacy, Subaru Outback, and Volkswagen Passat got a Good in all other categories and an Acceptable when it came to partial collisions.

But, as you might have guessed, the cars of the rich weren't exactly up to their snooty reputation.

The surprise, at least to the IIHS, were the results for the luxury cars. Of the cars they tested in the luxury or near-luxury category, only the Acura TL and the Volvo S60 managed to survive the tests with the best ratings across the board. The Acura TSX and its Sport version, Lincoln MKZ, BMW 3 series, and Volkswagen CC, all came away with good ratings except for the overlap crashes, which scored them a “Marginal.”

The rest of the models tested? Poor. In fact, the Infiniti G, and Lexus ES 350 and IS 250/350 models didn't even pull Good ratings across the board, unlike their compatriots in the luxury category.

Lessons Learned
What can we take away from all this?

1. Even the worst car on here has seen its safety substantially improve over the time it's been available, according to the IIHS's own data. Cars are getting safer, it's just that some have substantial room for improvement.
2. Money isn’t everything. It's true, in some cases, that luxury cars are at the cutting edge of automotive technology, but they're not the be-all and end-all of it. Also, handling “overlap” crashes safely is very much a work in progress for each automaker.
3. The real lesson here is that if you're buying a new car, do your homework and do it carefully. Don't make assumptions: Look for hard data and tests. Call your auto insurance company and find out which cars get you lower insurance rates because of safety features. Otherwise, you may be putting yourself at risk without even knowing it.

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The 4 Strangest Ways To Steal A Car

Cars get stolen all the time, even with car theft at all-time lows across the country. And some of the methods of swiping a vehicle can be a bit... unusual, to say the least. Here are five surprisingly-common -- and a bit odd -- ways your car can disappear.

#1) By Tow Truck Here's a simple question: When was the last time you questioned what a tow truck was doing? Have you ever seen a tow truck hauling a car away and thought “Hey, there's something fishy here...” Probably not. And most of the time, there's a good reason for that: The tow truck operator is just doing his job. Unless, of course, he's a car thief hauling off his prey. Tow trucks are ideal for stealing cars: Nobody challenges them, and you can break into the car at your leisure instead of stressing out trying to get it out of the parking lot.

#2) Using The OBD Port Digital methods of swiping cars have been around for a while, but this method is particularly annoying, and BMWs tend to fall prey to it. First, the thief breaks into the car, either by stealth or... well... breaking the window with a rock at a specific point that won't trigger the alarm. Then, he plugs a device called a “key programmer” into the car's OBD-II port, and puts the fob code on a blank key. Voila! He’s got a shiny new BMW to remove from the parking lot, much to the irritation of its owner.

#3) Stealing It From the Arresting Officer Most car thefts are not carefully-planned-out heists, but crimes of opportunity. In fact, half of all thefts happen because the car is unlocked... and 15% of cars stolen have the keys right there in the ignition. We expect this out of the sillier people we know, but not police officers. That said, the officer in question did happen to have this future car thief handcuffed and locked in the back of his cruiser. The suspect, however, figured out how to roll down the window and open the door. To be fair, this bright bulb decided that swiping a police car would be a better strategy than running away, and was caught in short order. But that must have been one embarrassing incident report for the officer to fill out.

#4) Pretending to Be a Valet It's the oldest joke about car theft in Hollywood: “You left your car with the valet? We don't have a valet!” Cue running out into the street as the expensive car peels out, never to be seen again. But, believe it or not, as the above clip will show you, it happens. Car thieves don't necessarily look like thieves, after all: They can be nice, clean-cut young people who look good in a suit and windbreaker... and who will be happy to accept your car keys and take your car. Of course, some have more standards than others... like the “valet” who stole a woman's car after he saw her staggering into the hospital at 3am with labor pains. The moral of the story? Your car can be stolen, so invest in some safety equipment -- such as a tracking device -- to protect it. It will lower your auto insurance prices, and also give you some piece of mind. Also, don't trust the valet.

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Should You Go Through a Car Insurance Broker?

Getting car insurance can be a hassle, and the option of having somebody else take care of the job for you can be very tempting. But should you hire a car insurance broker? Or stick to getting insurance yourself?

Here are the upsides... and the downside.

The Upsides:

Auto insurance brokers are probably the best way to find the best prices. That's because finding the best prices is their entire job: They have to know each insurer's quirks and how they weigh each factor to find you the best possible deal. In fact, any broker remotely worth the money will quickly have a sheet out for you to compare and contrast different insurers. Often, brokers will also have contacts or personal relationships with multiple insurance agencies, giving them an extra advantage you may not have if you're negotiating yourself.

If you just don't have time to do all the research on each insurer, and many people don't, a broker does the job for you. So if you need to save time, or just get on the road, and hate dealing with quote sites, a broker is probably going to give you the best possible options.

The Downsides:

Of course, unless you are a master negotiator, you are not going to be getting all of this valuable research and inside access for free. Insurance brokers cost money, and the better and more respected they are, the more they're going to cost. Similarly, those cozy relationships with insurers can work against you: Unethical brokers may push you towards policies that are more expensive because they'll get a friend (or the broker himself) a fat commission. It would be nice to say this is an uncommon problem, but there are ethics issues in the brokerage field just as there are any other line of work.

Finally, some brokers may not just be right for you. They may not be good at finding high-quality policies for the cars you need insured. So, as in all things, caveat emptor.

So, how to find the upsides without the downsides?

Do Your Research

• Ask a broker you're considering for references; customers he's made particularly happy in the past.
• Research each broker online (looking for online reviews and complaints), although be aware that people are more ready with a criticism than they are praise, especially on Internet sites dedicated specifically to criticism.
• Ask your friends and family if they used a broker, and if so, which broker they used. What did they like about the broker? What didn't they like? Would they use this broker again?
• Ask your dealer what brokers they've heard good things about, and which brokers they work with. Often the dealer has a handful of brokers they trust and work closely with. If they don't, ask your salesman what broker he used to find his car insurance.
• Finally and most importantly, trust your gut. If you don't think this broker is right for you... then he's not right for you. If you do your research and trust your instincts, you'll find a broker can be an incredibly handy guy to have around.

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Coming Soon: A 300 MPG Vehicle!

Think the upcoming federal standards for an average of 54.5 mpg seems a bit high? Volkswagen thinks it doesn't go nearly far enough. In fact, they plan to go six times better ... a car that goes 300 miles on a single gallon.

So how in the heck does that work?

Light as a Feather

It starts with size. Much of what we've seen about this rumored super-car indicate that it's going to be more Smartcar than SUV. Most of the concept cars on which it's supposed to be based are tiny little two-seaters. This isn't out of line with the current high-mileage vehicles out there, such as the Nissan Leaf or the Mitsubishi MiEV, both very small cars that make up their mileage as much by not having a lot to haul in the first place.

The rumored concept car would beat them both, however. The last time we saw one of these was in 2009. At that point, it was lighter than even the classic Volkswagen Bug, which you might remember wasn't exactly a heavyweight. It weighed just 838 pounds, and in the intervening three years, new materials science and welding techniques have developed that may make an already light car even lighter. That's extremely useful: the less overall weight a car has to haul, the less overall fuel it has to burn.

Diesel Fuel and Electric Power

Next there's the fuel itself, which might be the big sticking point for the American market. It's probably not a big surprise that this car is being engineered to burn diesel because, well, European manufacturers love turning out diesel cars. Volkswagen has highly-advanced diesel technology at this point, and the rumored engine, right now, is a two-cylinder diesel engine. Diesel gets more power per liter burned, which makes it ideal if you're looking for a lot of power with a little oomph.

Next up in the technology parade is the hybrid tech we all know so well from the Prius and other hybrid vehicles. Yep, this wouldn't be an all-electric car: Even current electric technology makes that difficult, to say the least. But it would be largely electrically powered, to the point where even braking would charge up your batteries and make your next stop at the gas station just that much further out.

So When Will We See It?

When might we see this diesel-burning, lightweight, gas-sipping German automotive wonder? Good question. One of the problems with concept cars is that they tend to be testing beds for technologies instead of actual products. This car might never leave the lab, but all the various weight-saving ideas and fuel-conserving strategies are ones you'll be seeing sooner rather than later, and not just in Volkswagen cars. Ford is already talking about their Fiesta that can go 45 miles to the gallon, and other manufacturers are beginning to roll out new fuel-saving technologies because of enormous consumer demand.

In short, you might only see this car if you go to a car show. But at some point â€" and sooner than you think â€" it will have its fingerprints all over the new cars.

Get a great insurance quote for your next new car. Contact Safe Auto today!

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8 Tips for Getting Car Insurance After a DUI

You've been convicted of DUI. That really sucks.

Your life will probably change drastically over the next few months (or years). Your license will likely be suspended for a while. You'll have to complete some community service and/or spend some time in jail. And between fines, lawyer fees, and court costs, you'll have to shell out quite a bit of money.

But like all terrible events, this too shall pass. And you'll eventually drive again. Which means that you'll be needing auto insurance. Here are eight suggestions for obtaining car insurance with a DUI on your record.

1. Accept the fact that you'll have to pay more money for a policy. A lot more. On average, your premiums will increase over 94% during the first year of coverage, and will remain about 63% higher after three years. So you may want to adjust your budget accordingly.

2. Start the process before you can drive again. There's no use waiting until just before you get your driver's license back to start researching auto insurance. Chances are, you'll have some time to sit around while not driving, which you can use to your advantage. That way, you can actually get behind the wheel on the same day your license is reissued.

3. Call your current auto insurance carrier. There's no getting around it -- your insurer will get wind of your DUI. So you might as well be up front about it. Plus, your current carrier might cancel your coverage, so you may want to find that out sooner rather than later. At the very least, you can see what your policy options are with your current insurer.

4. Determine what requirements must be met. Every county, state, and other municipality has its own rules regarding DUIs, so you must figure out what they are. Since you will likely have to get what is known as SR-22 insurance, you may have to contact the courts or another agency as part of the car insurance process.

5. Shop around. Yes, you'll be paying more for car insurance after a DUI, but you can still compare quotes from different carriers in order to get the best rate. Just be sure to disclose your DUI in the application process so you can obtain quotes that are accurate.

6. Take a driver's education course. This might be required as part of your DUI sentence anyway. But completing this type of course will give you a discount on your auto insurance policy.

7. Look for other ways to reduce your premiums. There's no reason you can't chip away at the higher premium you'll be paying. So look at everything from mileage driven annually and vehicle safety features to paying up front and multi-policy discounts to see if you can save a little money.

8. Swim in the high-risk pool. Every state maintains what is known as a "high-risk" pool of insurers. This group will issue your auto insurance when no one else will -- and you'll pay through the nose for minimum coverage. So explore this option only as a last resort.

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