Is your car safe? New test results out

The folks who do the safety testing on the cars, trucks and SUV’s we drive are out with the latest test results, and they say next year’s fleet of vehicles, both foreign and domestic, is offering some of the safest rides ever. NBC’s Chris Clackum checked the results out.

From front offset crash tests on next year’s super small, Honda Fit, to side impact on the slightly bigger Subaru Forrester, to rear ending the truly big Ford F-150 truck.. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says crash tests on these 2009’s provide the best results ever.

Adrian Lund- Insurance Institute for Hwy Safety - “We now have 72 vehicles, vehicle models that we rate as Top Safety Picks, which means consumers can buy them and expect to get state of the art protection in frontal, side and rear collisions.“

The Institute is crowing about all class and size of vehicles, both foreign like Hondas, Toyotas and Subarus.. and domestic, like GM and Ford, who led the way among all manufacturers..

Lund - “They had the most Top Safety Picks, in fact…16 altogether.“

Chrysler was the only exception. The Institute says no one Chrysler passed all three type crash tests, as the other 72 vehicles did. But Chrysler says it meets or exceeds all federal safety standards.

Lund - “What automakers have figured out is that safety sells”

The Institute took note of beefed up side panels, side airbags, head restraints.. and next year, plans to emphasize roof strength in rollovers in its battery of tests.

For more test results, go here.