Another thing that people don't typically realize is that safety ratings are only applicable when compared to vehicles of the same weight class. This means that, if a compact car and a full size car crash into each other, the full size car typically has a significant advantage, even if they both carry the same five star rating.

Presently there is a big push toward smaller cars due to their potentially better fuel economy. However, some people fail to realize the safety tradeoff that comes with driving a smaller vehicle.