Crash tests can help you determine how well a vehicle will protect you in a crash. Here are different organizations that perform crash tests and rate vehicles:

• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (www.nhtsa.dot.gov). Each year, NHTSA crashes vehicles head-on into a wall and bashes them broadside to test their ability to protect their occupants. NHTSA focuses on evaluating vehicle restraints such as air bags and safety belts.
• The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (www.hwysafety.org). A different test by the IIHS uses offset-frontal car crashes to assess the protection provided by a vehicle's structure.
• Consumers Union Consumer Report's annual auto issue rates vehicles in terms of overall safety. Its safety score combines crash test results with a vehicle's accident avoidance factors—emergency handling, braking, acceleration, and even driver comfort.

To find out whether a vehicle has been recalled for safety defects, contact NHTSA. If a vehicle has been recalled, ask the dealer for proof that the defect has been repaired.

Used vehicles should also have a current safety inspection sticker if your state requires one.