Thanks in part to supply chain woes and an inflationary economy, pre-owned vehicles have become more costly in recent years. But safety still counts! If you've been wondering about how to purchase a safe used car, we've got a few tips to share.

Are you looking for a first automobile? A second car for your spouse, partner or teen? Or perhaps an affordable ride to park at your vacation home? Whatever your motive, let's take a closer look at what you should keep in mind about safety when shopping for a used car.

Review safety ratings

You’ve almost certainly seen crash test ratings on the window sticker when shopping for a new vehicle. For a used car, you’ll find those ratings online.

The two primary sources for safety ratings are the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration¹ (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Highway Loss Data Institute² (IIHS-HLDI). It’s wise to review both as part of your research.

The NHTSA lists the various crash test ratings (frontal, side, rollover) for a vehicle as well as the safety equipment that comes standard or optional. The longer the vehicle has been on the road, the greater the opportunity for potential problems to surface. This site lists any recall information, complaints from drivers, investigations and communications sent out from the manufacturer.

Meanwhile, the IIHS-HLDI offers a bit more thorough initial review, conducting six different crash tests and rating vehicles as good, acceptable, marginal or poor. They also assess how well the headlights serve the driver from a safety perspective, how user-friendly the child-seat anchors (LATCH) are, and how well the safety features work.

Identify safety features

There’s been a flurry of new vehicle safety features added to cars in recent years. Which ones may be the most valuable from a safety perspective?

Backup cameras

Backup cameras have proven to be quite valuable in preventing accidents, and it's increasingly common to find used cars with this feature.

Blind spot detection

Blind spot detection is increasingly standard in modern cars, especially in late model vehicles sporting higher trim levels. According to IIHS, lane change crashes are reduced by 14% with blind spot detection. In crashes involving severe injury, that number improves to an even more favorable 23%.

Driver assistance technology

As you may have heard in news reports, self-driving vehicles may be a reality in the not-so-distant future. In the meantime, many of the features that will ultimately support it are already available. Automatic braking, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, adaptive headlights and adaptive cruise control are common features in newer model vehicles.

Consider color

Does the color of the car you drive make it more or less likely to be in an accident? Some studies indicate it can be a factor in a collision. For instance, research reveals³ that darker cars are somewhat more likely to be in an accident than vehicles with lighter-shaded colors, particularly white ones. That said, the difference in risk level tends to diminish somewhat after nightfall, when headlights are the primary means of visibility.

Access crash history

Frankly, the true condition of a car may not always be obvious to the casual observer. If a car has frame damage from a prior accident, for example, there is a greater potential for future safety concerns. Most recent model cars have unibody construction. This tends to make them safer for occupants in a crash. Alas, it may also make them more susceptible to structural damage that can be difficult to fix.

Worth noting is that vehicles repaired after having been totaled may be issued a salvage title. In Texas, it’s possible for a salvaged vehicle to be rebuilt and pass an inspection deeming it road worthy again. Yet purchasing such an automobile is, for many people, a risk generally best avoided.

Fortunately, there are multiple services that allow you to determine a vehicle’s full damage history, provided you have access to the car’s vehicle identification number (VIN).

The takeaway

Purchasing a used vehicle can be a smart move for your wallet, but don't forget to keep safety in mind. After all, you and your passengers are priceless.

RBFCU Insurance Agency is available to help during this process, too. We can provide you with a review of your current policy, or you can request an online quote today.