Safety on the road is a primary concern for motorists. Crashes damage property and injure people. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics show that more than 30,000 people die each year on US roads in accidents.

Auto shoppers who routinely consider safety ratings probably know that luxury cars often have outstanding safety ratings. In fact, out of 15 luxury SUVs evaluated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), only one of them failed to receive full honors when tested for side impact, frontal, and rear-end crashes. Similarly, 9 out of 12 luxury cars achieved top ratings. The following reasons explain how luxury vehicles excel on safety ratings tests.

Price

Cars with a hefty price tag have more margin room to include the latest, most expensive safety features. For example, anti-lock brakes, electronic stability systems, and throttle controls have long been standard features of luxury SUVs, even before new federal policies required them go into effect. New safety features seem to first emerge in luxury vehicles and then gradually become adopted for less-expensive vehicles as those features become more affordable over time.

Size

Basic physical laws seem to predict that larger and heavier cars have better survivability. The IIHS confirmed this in a study that found that both vehicle size and weight factor into the protection that cars offer in a crash. In every test, occupants of larger cars were more likely to survive an accident without injury.

Quality

Manufacturers of economy cars often find ways to save money in production, often resulting in lighter cars that get better gas mileage, but do not do well in accidents. Cost is not as much of an issue with many luxury cars, meaning that manufacturers can use heavier, higher-quality materials that offer more protection.

If your and your family’s safety are extremely important to you, go to your local dealership to explore your options with luxury vehicles. With excellent quality, luxury vehicles offer some of the best choices available to you for staying safe on the road.