Study: Safety Taking Back Seat

MAYFIELD VILLAGE, Ohio--In what may be the ultimate example of style over substance, a new survey by a major insurance company finds that people place a higher premium on the look and the amenities offered in a new car, rather than admiring its safety features.

The study found that the top five considerations when purchasing a new car were overall purchase price, practicality (gas mileage, insurance, etc.), monthly payment amount, look/style of the car, followed by safety features such as air bags, anti-lock brakes and other equipment.

The survey of consumers’ new car buying attitudes found that 47 percent of the respondents think that the color of the car was more important than side air bags in their decision to purchase a new car, while 22 percent said that a CD player was more important than anti- lock brakes in their new-car purchase decision.

Other findings: 24 percent said that leather seats were more important than four-wheel drive in their decision to purchase a new car, while people with children were nearly twice as likely to say that the monthly payment amount for a new car was more important than its safety features.

Safety continued to take a back seat when asked how driving behavior would change after purchasing a new car. Three times more respondents said they would give up eating and drinking when driving a new car than those who would curtail speeding or tailgating.

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How People Shop For New Vehicles

• Shades of Gray

Forty-seven percent of respondents said that color was more important than side air bags in their decision to purchase a new car.

• Stopping Might Be Difficult, But It Plays Rockin’ Tunes

Twenty-two percent of respondents said that a CD player was more important than anti-lock brakes in their decision to purchase a new car.

• Leather Just Feels So Good

Twenty-four percent of respondents said that leather seats were more important than four-wheel drive in their decision to purchase a new car.

• It May Not Have Air Bags But The Payments Are Cheap

Surprisingly, respondents with children were nearly twice as likely to say that the monthly payment amount for a new car was more important than its safety features.

• It’s Not What You Drive, But Rather How Fast You Go

Men were three times more likely than women to report driving faster after having purchased a new car.

• Tire Recall? What tire recall?

Surprisingly, only 6 percent of respondents said their new car purchase decision would be affected by negative media coverage about a tire recall.

• Stay Away From The Speed Demons Respondents who had more than one crash in the past three years were six times more likely to drive faster after purchasing a new car.

• Who Needs Air Bags When You Can Get Leather Seats?

Thirty-six percent of respondents with children reported the color of a new car as more important than whether the car had side air bags--and 21 percent said that leather seats were more important than four-wheel drive.

• It Might Not Be As Safe...But It’s Practical

People were two times more likely to rank practicality over safety as a primary consideration when purchasing a new car.

• Nobody Wants Crumbs In the Car

When asked how their driving behavior would change after purchasing a new car, respondents were three times more likely to say they’d eat/drink less in a new car--compared to switching lanes, speeding or tailgating less.

• Men Are From Mars--But At Least They Value Safety More

Men were more likely than women to report safety features as the primary consideration when purchasing a new car.

• We May Be Divorced, But At Least We Have A Cool Car

The No. 1 thing divorced respondents would want in a new car if price was not a concern was a car with sophistication and coolness--beating out safety features by 10 percent.

• High Salary Doesn’t Equal Big Spender

Respondents making more than $75,000 a year were nearly twice as likely to be concerned about the purchase price of a car than respondents making less than $25,000 a year.

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Top Five Considerations When Purchasing A New Car

1. Overall purchase price (25 percent)

2. Practicality (i.e. gas mileage, insurance, etc.) (22 percent)

3. Monthly payment amount (19 percent)

4. Look/style of the car (14 percent)

5. Safety features (i.e. air bags, anti-lock brakes, etc.) (10 percent)

Other reasons (10 percent)

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Top Five Changes In Driving Behavior After Purchasing A New Car

1. Drive more carefully than before (23 percent)

2. Pay more attention to the road/other drivers (17 percent)

3. Avoid potentially dangerous situations (seven percent)

4. Drive faster because the car is new (two percent)

5. Drive slower than before (two percent)

Those who would not change their driving (49 percent)