The Ultimate Guide To The Safest Cars In The World

Each year in the order of a million people die on roads around the globe. It's a chilling figure. But it's not just death we want to avoid.

Personal injury solicitors are still doing a great business thanks to the millions of injuries. So it's no surprise that safety has become a major concern when choosing a car. Car makers have also seen the trend towards safer driving. And they're pulling out all the stops.

Land Rover Discovery Sport SUV

Image source: Land Rover MENA / Flickr

For many people, SUVs are synonymous with safety. But among this class are a few gems, one of which is the Land Rover Discovery Sport. The Sport recently got a 5-star rating from the Euro NCAP tests. It also got an adult safety rating of over 90 percent. The car's automatic braking systems and its ISOFIX child seat mounts drove the high score. Overall, a very impressive package and a clear upgrade on its predecessor.

Mercedes C-Class

Image source: smoothgroover22 / Flickr

Mercedes have always been at the forefront of car technology. (Well, they were before Tesla came along.) And so it should come as no surprise that their new executive model comes with all the latest safety features.

The car features Mercedes' acclaimed PRE-SAFE system which makes changes to the car in anticipation of a collision. The seat belts tighten and the position of the front seats altered.

The car can also let you know if it thinks you're getting drowsy. It's a bit scary and a bit cool.

Nissan Qashqai

Image source: RL GNZLZ / Flickr

When Nissan launched the Qashqai back in 2007, it created a bit of a stir. Not only is there no "u" in Qashqai, but no other car on the road at that time could compete with it. Here was a city going SUV that anybody could drive.

A couple of models later and the car is a genuine class leader when it comes to safety. In Euro NCAP tests it has scored particularly well when it comes to protecting very young children. So this is certainly one to consider for keeping the family safe.

Mercedes GLA

Image source: Daniel Böswald / Flickr

Another Mercedes has made it into the rankings for the most reliable car in the world. The GLA, like the C-Class, packs some serious safety features.

It did particularly well in side impact collision tests. And like the C-Class, include Mercedes' ISOFIX child seat mount. The car will also deactivate the front air bags when the child seat is installed.

Subaru Outback Estate

Image source: RL GNZLZ / Flickr

We don't often think of Subaru when it comes to safety. But the Japanese car maker has recently got on board and is driving safety across its range.

The car performs particularly well in side impacts, but also frontal collisions. It's all down to the fact that the car has some brilliant ways to dissipate energy around the vehicle.

Volvo XC90

Image source: California Air Resources Board / Flickr

The much-acclaimed XC90 is back, and the newest model is safer than ever before. The car features every safety feature you could imagine, and some you couldn't.

One interesting fact about the car is that the seats deform before a collision in a way that protects the passengers. That's high-tech and something we haven't seen before.