How safe is your car?

So I'm in the process of learning to drive and buying my first car. 3 things that came to mind when I started thinking of what I was going to buy were emissions/fuel economy, safety record & design (what can I say, it's part of my day job!). The first and last were relatively easy to deduce but the second I didn't have a clue. So, off I did go and look up the Euro NCAP site - New Car Assesment Programme.

First off, the site is lovely - very well designed & wireframed, easy to use and pin-point the info you need. Shame the content is a little harrowing in places, such as the video above - that's a Toyota Yaris, year 2000 model being tested. If hit in those conditions my head would be minced. More surprising is the fact that this make and model does better than pretty much all the other cars in it's class. Yowza. Thankfully, Toyota have tackled that very issue in the newer model with side airbags.

The site is certainly worth a look whether you're buying, researching or just a fan of good website design. If you're particularly nervous about driving or even just being a passenger, then I'd say give the videos a miss. http://www.euroncap.com.