Choosing the safest car for your family

If you have a family and need a new car, there are so many things to consider when making a decision – from petrol usage to reliability – but safety features and child-friendly designs should also be near the top of your list. Here are some tips for choosing a car that not only makes fitting child car seats and storing prams a breeze, but will also help keep your family safe.

Don’t assume hatchbacks are better

While hatchbacks can be wonderful, they can also be deceiving, sometimes offering less space than a medium-size or small family car. It all depends on the model. Do your homework, and when you visit the car dealership, bring not only your questions, but also some of your daily cargo – pram, gym bag and other accessories – to see how well they fit.

Opel Astra Combi

Wide-opening doors and “stadium seating”

If you have a child, toddler or baby in a car seat, you know how often you are opening and closing doors in order to strap your child in or get your child out. This is why we recommend actually bringing your car seat with you to the dealership – maybe even bringing your child – in order to see how easily you can access the back seat and how snugly a car seat can be fitted. Also, take note of the seating that the vehicle offers. Raised rear seating – called “’stadium seating” – makes it easier to fit car seats and also gives the child a better view.

Family car

Sliding seats and other child-friendly features

This isn’t a deal breaker, but it’s very convenient when a car offers sliding rear seats. This allows you to bring a child closer to the front in order to make it easier to pass drinks, books or other items. Also, some parents feel that a DVD player on a car trip can make the difference between a cranky child and a contented one. Consider if the vehicle offers some of these bells and whistles, and whether you value them enough to pay the premium. Finally, on a purely aesthetic level, darker interiors can help hide spills and stains from the inevitable dropped cup or food. Avoid beige at all costs.

Ford Flex interior

So which cars are safest for families? The Euro NCAP scores will give you a rundown of the latest crash test scores, and you can access many of those scores and compare the safety ratings of vehicles side-by-side at www.euroncap.com.

One of the highest scoring vehicles in terms of child and adult safety is the Ford B-MAXwhich, according to the testing agency, received “maximum points for the protection of the three-year infant in the dynamic tests” with maximum safety points also awarded for the protection of the front passenger.

Ford B-MAX

The Volvo V40 and Kia Ceed also scored highly in the Euro NCAP tests, with the Ceed scoring maximum points for its protection of “both the three-year-old child and the 18-month-old infant, as indicated by dummy ratings” while the Volvo V40 received good though not perfect ratings for child protection.