Why is Honda falling behind in safety? Their cars are only 4-star Euro NCAP awards?

I own a 2003 Honda Civic, I have started with a Fiat Uno, moved to a Volvo 940 Estate, and now to a Honda Civic.



I was driving in Spain when a lorry hit the side of my car, I was in a Vauxhall/Opel Corsa, thankfully the car wasn't that badly damaged and I am fine.



On Thursday evening, I was driving with two of the people I care most about in the world. I was on the M11, coming back from Stansted Airport. When a drunk driver in a Ford Focus was going all over the place. I kept behind, and he kept speeding up. A van was right behind him, when suddenly the van driver started breaking hard. I could see the drunk Focus driver, had half turned into the hard shoulder, and the van driver as well. Then I had to turn halfway out of the lane to get out of the way, all at 65mph. Then he came out, narrowly missing my car.



I almost killed myself and my two kids, I was so shaken, I had to pull over.



I am now so scared to drive with my kids, I am on my own with 2 kids, 15 and 12. I am going to change my car in 2 years. But I really can't afford a Volvo, and I know they are safe. I am going to see if I can pick up a second hand S40 saloon with low-mileage from a Volvo dealer.



However, I am a big Honda fan, yet all of their cars are not 5 star winners? I would like a hatchback, but I am leaning to find the safest car I can get.



How come a massive Japense brand can't make safe cars? I really want to know why Honda won't make safe cars, yet they make the most reliable?



Is there any safety experts that can help me out?



What's wrong with Honda?

What's the safest 5-door hatchback I can get?

Or should I try and get a Volvo S40?



THANK YOU VERY MUCH!Why is Honda falling behind in safety? Their cars are only 4-star Euro NCAP awards?
I drive a Mazda3 in the States and I am a single Father of one. I can give you and informed opinion. The Mazda 3 does not have as high of a safety rating as the Honda. At least not the 05 Mazda without rear seat airbags. God has not blessed me to have been a parent as long as you, but I hope to have the opportunity as my child grows in age and I grow in parenting.

If I were you, I would not give up on Honda. At the speed rate of 65 mph, your car avoided the accident. Being in an accident and surviving to tell the story is the last line of defense. Your car was nimble enough to avoid the accident and to safely pull to the side of the road despite being shaken. If this were a horse on the frontier, you would pat it on it's muscular neck and feed him additional oats, and affirm he is a good boy.

The ability to avoid an accident is under-rated, surviving an accident is over-rated. I would rather have experienced what you described than the alternative, and then feel affirmed I chose the right brand.

My point here, is that both Honda and Mazda have a race car pedigree baked into the Research and Development of any car that rolls off of the assembly line. Whatever, set of tires and suspension set up has demonstrated to you it is money well spent, by your ability to avoid an accident in the first place.

My second point, is this. If you want to improve the safety of your car, when it is time to get a new car battery, purchase a deep cycle battery, like the Exide Orbit. These batteries are admittedly overkill. The standard Original Equipment Manufacturer battery in the U.S. are good for 37 months before needing to be replaced. This is just outside of the 3 year 50,000 mile warranty. A deep cycle battery is not merely a starter battery, but it can discharge slower and recharge faster than a car battery. It is a multi-task power source often used in marine equipment, off road four wheel drive vehicles with a winch, and overall heavy duty applications. If you will spend $200-300 for a battery that has these capabilities in an economy car your benefits are as follows:

Emergency power is available if stuck on the side of the road with your loved ones due to severe weather. You will not have to get out of the car for anything because you have a source of power that will sustain the occupants survivability

If you carry a power inverter and a laptop with a wireless cartridge, the battery will provide back up power to the computer to monitor the situation, get the news and e-mail for help

The battery will last 8 to 10 years, so it is one less thing to worry about as a parent and it matches Honda reliability

The likely hood of needing a jump is unlikely. If the alternator begins to fail, the battery will buy you time to get the money to afford the fix, so it backs up the alternator's power

Lastly, all emergency vehicles have a deep cycle battery for this very reason.

A deep cycle battery is the best that money can buy and better protects the family in the event of car emergencies, which are increasingly likely in natural disaster events, war and life no matter the country. This is a less costly proposition than getting a used Volvo. From one Father to the next, I am glad to hear that you are safe, my heart goes out to you. I hope you remain encouraged.Why is Honda falling behind in safety? Their cars are only 4-star Euro NCAP awards?
Firstly, Hondas are hardly 'unsafe' - a four star rating is still very good.

Secondly, in the case of your motorway incident, you should have slowed to put enough distance between yourself %26amp; the drivers in front of you - if you had left an adequate safety zone, you wouldn't have had to leave your lane.

Thirdly, a Volvo S40 isn't a hatchback, it's a saloon. If you want one, price isn't an issue as they've been around for over ten years, so are available to suit any budget. If you're restricting yourself to brand new cars %26amp; their dreadful depreciation, that's up to you.



There are plenty of 5 star rated cars, but bear in mind pedestrian ratings too;



http://www.euroncap.com/Why is Honda falling behind in safety? Their cars are only 4-star Euro NCAP awards?
Honda are ace for reliability, but to be honest that's the only reason I'd buy one (though I do like the new Civic...)



I assume Volvo kept their safety record after the Ford takeover, whether they're as safe as they used to be I don't know (the old 700/900 series were indestructible)



The S40 has been around a long while now like J G said, so you'll pick one up cheap no problem. You can pick up the new model (2005+) for as little as 拢4000 on Auto Trader, the old model starts at 拢500 ish.



If you're serious about safety then go for something with 5 star. 4 star is very good, but for peace of mind (especially with 2 kids) go for a 5 star.



The new S40 got a 5 star rating, stood up very well. The old one got 4 stars.



Hope this helps and good luck.Why is Honda falling behind in safety? Their cars are only 4-star Euro NCAP awards?
You are misconstruing the NCAP figures. Firstly, they are NOT the be all and end all of safety. The difference between a 4 star and 5 star rating is often that the 4 star car is not quite as forgiving to a pedestrian if it hits one. But safety is not all just about how a car will survive a crash but also about being able to avoid one in the first place. The old 740/940 Volvo's were built like tanks but their handling was pretty woeful by todays standards, a better handling car - such as your Civic - would often be able to avoid a crash that one of those Volvo's would not! The Civic is a very safe car.