



You raise a valid point, but again it's a tradeoff -- how much money
do you want to spend for that kind of protection?  You could buy a
Volvo, Saab, or 'Benz and get really good crash protection (and other
luxuries) but you'll pay significantly more for it.  In my case it's
out of the question because *all* of those cars are beyond my budget.

Even in high-speed head-on collisions the most beneficial item you can
have is a good old 3-point seatbelt.  Nowadays, at least in the US,
you get an airbag if you get a 3-point belt so (presumably) you get an
added safety benefit there as well.  That's something I certainly look
for and which can be had in inexpensive cars.

My $.02, of course.