Safest car on the road

Cars of 2009 crash safety tested--http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/

Euro NCAP's crash testing offers a standardised way of looking at how safe today's cars are, with each measured for adult and child occupant protection, pedestrian protection and - as of 2009 - safety assist technology like ESP and traction control.

The 2009 test offers the most specific scoring system yet, with each car rated as a percentage for each four categories then awarded an overall star rating for ease of reference. Most new cars achieve a five-star rating overall now, but the individual category scores still vary greatly.

It's difficult to directly compare newer cars with those that were scored using the older system, but we've gone through the ratings and listed the best cars in ten classes, as well as giving you a notable alternative for each.

CITY CAR

Car: Toyota iQ

The iQ may be small of footprint, but it scores a massive 91% for adult occupant protection and a high 71% for child protection. Standard electronic stability control means its safety assist rating is good too.

Alternative: Smart ForTwo

A pre-2009 result, the Smart wasn't even tested for child protection due to its lack of rear seats. The four-star rating is ok (it has a strong 'passenger cell structure), but its pedestrian protection is quoted as 'predominantly poor'.

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all credits go to http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/