Due to fluctuating gas prices many small cars are getting more and more popular these days and that’s why they are being equipped with better safety strides for motorists, insurance industry tests suggest.

While testing for front-end crash, different 2009 small car models were given top scores by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Toyota Matrix, the Suzuki SX4 and the Pontiac Vibe were the three vehicles that got top scores in front and side protection.

The 2009 PT Cruiser from Chrysler was the only vehicle that got low scores in rear and side protection.
While in front-end testing, the HHR from Chevrolet and the Focus from Ford were the two vehicles that got the second-highest score in side protection.

Joe Nolan, who is the senior vice president at Industry Insurance Institute, says in this connection: “Many great improvements have been in small cars when it’s about protecting drivers from front crashes and they have added some other features in help protecting side crashes.”

Nolan also told that 11 out of 21 new small car models that were rated in the tests received top scoring in side protection and three years back only 3 out of 19 small cars had got the top scoring.