Before visiting Franklin dealerships for used cars, some research is in order. Besides the usual items — body styles, models’ repair histories, reviewers’ and owners’ opinions — many of us are concerned with safety. While safety data is scant for many classic cars, when shopping the more recent used cars at Alexander Automotive, it’s worth checking their scores from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
NHTSA Safety Ratings
The NHTSA is a part of the US Department of Transportation that investigates safety issues, underwrites car safety research, suggests best practices for vehicle safety, and tests vehicles for collision survivability. It’s a broad mandate, but this agency helps keep us safer in new and used cars.
A car’s NHTSA rating aggregates scores in the Frontal Crash, Side Crash, and Rollover safety categories, among others. For now, NHTSA testing doesn’t score on active safety technology, although they recommend that drivers take advantage of these features when available.
IIHS Safety Ratings
The IIHS is an independent nonprofit organization funded by the insurance industry with two goals: keeping cars safe and insurance premiums low.
The IIHS tests five different criteria:
Look for cars with top “Good” scores in each category. A Top Safety Pick is awarded when a car gets “good” marks on all tests, while the Top Safety Pick Plus is awarded to vehicles with the most advanced — and effective — driver-assist aids.
How Does This Figure Into Used Car Research?
Rating criteria change as vehicle construction changes, so a car from 2000 wasn’t tested quite the same way as one from 2017. The ratings aren’t infallible (especially since they don’t cover classics), but they’re still a good guideline to use before you pick your next used car. If you have questions about any of our used cars for sale, feel free to email, call, or simply stop by Alexander Automotive!
