If a car got a bad rating in government crash safety tests, and the manufacturer then improves the safety of the car, does the car actually become safer on the road? The answer is YES. There is a direct relationship showing that when a safety rating improves, the car will become safer to drive. A study done at Virginia Commonwealth University found that cars rated as “poor” had a 42 percent higher death rate than cars rated as “good.” The Cliff Notes version of the study is available on the Wall Street Journal site. In contrast, no one has been able to come up with a way to make SUVs safer. An SUV that is given a “poor” rating remains that way no matter what companies do to it. The good news is that auto makers have been moving away from the truck-based SUV models. But cars are much safer these days. In fact, when you go car shopping today, passenger cars earn the highest rating for safety with 5 stars. Just keep in mind that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is trying to prohibit customers from accessing information about car defects, so you have to be extra vigilant moving forward. Clark wants you to visit the site and voice your complaint about the potential law. Just click here to voice your opinion. But, it’s great news that cars are getting safer.