Safety Concerns of Auto Consumers

In the latest public attitude survey conducted by the Insurance Research Council (IRC), nearly eight in ten respondents who purchased or leased autos in the past three years rated vehicle safety as important to their purchase decisions. Sixty-eight percent of auto consumers sought at least one type of vehicle safety information before making their selections. More than half (54 percent) of recent auto consumers looked for information about the specific vehicle safety features of prospective vehicles, such as airbags or anti-lock brakes. One in four sought information on the maneuverability or driveability of prospective vehicles, while 23 percent obtained crash test information. Interestingly, consumers most often sought safety information from car salespeople (37 percent).