If you are considering a new vehicle, safety should be your top priority. Modern vehicles come with a host of features that can reduce the chance you crash and, if you do crash, will increase the chance that you survive.

Seat belts are a prime example. While every car has had them for years, it was not always that way. Airbags are another example that has become standard, although some manufacturers go the extra mile and put more airbags in particular models to provide better protection in different types of crashes and for those in the rear seats.

Crash avoidance systems

These include systems that warn you when you are getting close to another vehicle, systems that alert you if you are crossing a lane and systems that help you brake harder while also reducing the chance you lose traction.

Unfortunately, some ‘safety features' increase the chance of injuring others

Modern vehicles are much bulkier than they used to be, with many city dwellers now driving SUVs and pickups that were once the preserve of rural drivers. One of the reasons more people are buying these is because manufacturers tell them they are safer than an ordinary car. The increased height and bulk certainly can provide more protection for the occupants. What the manufacturers fail to mention is those same features make them more likely to kill anyone they hit. One study found they are 45% more deadly to pedestrians.

While color and style have a large role to play in most people's vehicle choices, they should be secondary to the safety of those inside the vehicle and anyone they might collide with.