Two fuel-efficient hybrid cars have come out towards the top of a league table that ranks Europe's safest vehicles.
The Honda Insight and Toyota Prius came second and third respectively according to the lastest round-up of results from EuroNCAP, the new car crash testing organisation.
Europe's best selling car, the Volkswagen Golf was officially ranked its safest car in the safety tests.
EuroNCAP tested a total of 33 new car models in 2009 with each being awarded an overall safety rating based on combined performance in four areas; adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, pedestrian protection, and 'safety assist' which currently covers electronic stability control, 'driver-set' speed limitation devices, and intelligent seat belt reminders.
The Golf Achieved the highest overall score in 2009, closely followed by the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius. In fourth place was Hyundai's supermini the i20.
Edmund King, AA President says, "It is good to see that the safest cars are 'normal' family cars and state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly cars rather than larger executive models which many might traditionally associate with higher safety standards.
"More than 360 new car models have been tested in the 12 years or so since the EuroNCAP programme began which means that even first time car buyers can now take safety into account - alongside running costs, environmental impact and other factors – when buying a car."
Each rating is the result of testing up to a total of three cars, three front seats, four child seats and an array of spare parts per model. To achieve the overall rating, the car model is usually put through four crash tests, a component test and is assessed by an inspector who considers tests results and the safety equipment and features of the car.
Several models crash tested in previous years were re-rated in 2009 after the necessary tests and assessment were undertaken.
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