Safe cars in the spotlight

I was able to read this in the news today and it's good to know that the number of safe cars tripled. That means makers are doing their job goodly. The more safer it is, the more secure we are as a user.

Here's a glimpse of the news:

The results, which are due to be released on Nov. 15, 2007, come as auto makers attempt to boost their safety ratings by adding air bags, crumple zones and crash-avoidance electronics -- and as consumers increasingly seek out the latest safety features.

Toyota Motor Corp.'s Tundra is the first pickup truck to make the list, and Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd.'s Subaru Impreza is the first small car since stricter criteria were introduced last year. They join Hyundai Motor Co.'s Entourage minivan, Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz M-Class sport-utility vehicle and Ford Motor Co.'s Volvo XC90 SUV, which were also on last year's list.

To receive the top rating, vehicles have to be available with electronic stability control, or ESC, and get a top score of "good" in front-, side- and rear-impact crash tests. Other ratings in each category include "acceptable," "marginal" and "poor."

source