Clark has long been a fan of the Smart Car, a Mercedes Benz-produced 2-seater that gets great fuel economy. He was all set to buy one, but then he saw the crash-test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

It's perfectly safe for the driver and received the highest rating of 5 stars. But it isn't safe for passengers, earning only 3 out of 5 stars. As a parent of 2 small kids, there's no way that Clark is going to compromise the safety of his children in a Smart Car now.

(Editor's note: The day after Clark spoke about this, the highly respected Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the Smart Car its highest rating. Clark says he'll defer to the findings of the IIHS on this one.)

Several weeks ago, Clark told you that his wife was in an auto accident. While everyone involved was fine, he promised to report back about the challenges he was having with the other party's insurance company. They didn't want to pay and kept pushing Clark to file a claim with his own insurer -- a process known as subrogation. The problem with subrogation is that 2 insurers can cut a deal, leaving each driver with an at-fault accident on their driving record. In this case, there was no question that the other driver was the one who hit Clark's wife.

While the insurance struggles were going on, Clark and his wife were able to use a spare vehicle they have to get around. The insurers like to play a waiting game because they know that not everyone has more than one vehicle. So most people eventually roll over and just go the subrogation route. Clark was able to instead become politely persistent. He got on a first-name basis with the investigator and called every single day. On the 8th day, the other person's insurer agreed to pay for damage to his wife's car.

The game is to continually stall in the hopes that you'll eventually go to your own insurance company. Clark's just glad he didn't have to file suit in a small claims court against the other driver. But had he done so, their insurance company would probably have capitulated when they were faced with the expenses of a court date. In the end, you are your own best advocate.

Clark's life is usually quite busy, but there's been a little more going on than usual during the past couple days. Earlier this week, he spoke about closing on an REO foreclosure. In the midst of everything, his family's dog died. Clark's wife and his middle child have been very upset by the death of Costco Wholesale. QT, the family's other dog, is still doing well despite being nearly blind. Meanwhile, Clark's wife was in a car wreck a week ago. The other party's insurer has been stalling, and their car is at the body shop just sitting and waiting for authorization. Finally, his wife said, "You're America's consumer champion. You always give advice to others about consumer problems. What's your advice for yourself, Clark Howard?"

That set Clark on a path that's been educational (but not necessarily fun) as he's learned to deal with the other person's insurance company. One possible solution is to subrogate, which means Clark will go to his own insurer, pay the deductible and let the two insurance companies fight it out. Another possibility is to go the litigious route. The woman who hit Clark's wife has proven delightful, so they're trying to avoid having it come to that. But insurance channels are notoriously difficult to navigate; even if your insurer is good, you still have to deal with the other person's insurer. When Clark checked Consumer Reports' rankings of the best and worst insurers, he found the other person's insurer about halfway down the list. So Clark has consumer problems just like anybody else. He'll update you on what happens if he has to go to court.

Clark’s 18 year old daughter had an auto accident after six weeks of having her license, totaling both cars and causing minor injuries. The reality brought home the enormous danger of teenagers behind the wheel of a car. Roughly 20 teenagers die in auto accidents every single day. Safeco insurance has launched a new program for parents of teens called TeenSurance. It allows parents to continuously spy on the kid’s driving habits – tracking how fast they drive, if they’re out past curfew, and where they drive. And while teens will say they want their freedom, most teens actually like and respect boundaries, and like having them in their lives. The Safeco deal is $25 a month. And, for the parent of a teen, it’s totally worth it in Clark’s opinion.

A recent study by the Insurance Institute on Highway Safety shows in which vehicles you are most likely to die. The most dangerous vehicle you can drive is the two-door Chevy Blazer. Ironically, the safest vehicle is also a Chevy – the Astro Mini-Van. The Blazer had a 232; the Astro had a 7. These two have gotten the most coverage. But what about the type of vehicle that is the safest overall. Four-door mini-cars, for example, are not safe. They have the highest number of traffic-related fatalities. SUVs also did horribly,. But Electronic Stability Control systems are going to make SUVs much safer in the future. So, which cars did the best? Luxury cars are apparently the safest. That may have something to do with the characteristics of the driver. People who drive luxury cars are middle-aged and drive much more cautiously. The Mazda Miata, for example, seems like it wouldn’t be very safe. But it gets great ratings because people who buy them are middle-aged. Mini-vans and mid-sized cars are also in the safe category.

You’ve probably heard of Carfax, right? The company does vehicle history reports and has had a good reputation. But the company recently settled a lawsuit because of false advertising. The company guarantees that if a car has been in an accident, Carfax will know. That is not the case. Many cars that have been in accidents and even totaled are fixed up and resold and the buyer is none the wiser. In Missouri, legislators are trying to pass a law that will allow a totaled car to be fixed up and sold as if the accident never happened. In other words, it would be legal to sell a washed title in Missouri. And, it’s happening in more states than you know. Remember also that a car that has a "certified" sticker or label on it means nothing, unless it's a manufacturer's certified used car program. That will come with the manufacturer's warranty, and those are usually only available on luxury cars. So, Carfax and "certified" are not enough. You always want to have a car inspected by an ASE certified mechanic before you buy.

Drunk driving accounts for about one-third of all fatalities these days, and organizations seem to have run out of ideas to stop people from driving drunk. Well, Toyota is never one to back down from a challenge. The auto company is in the process of designing cars that will detect whether drivers are drunk through sweat in their palms. When drivers place their hands on the wheel and they are beyond the legal limit, the car will automatically shut down. It won’t be available for two years, but Clark loves this idea. We need to put a stop to it and the company claims this is a fail safe system. MADD – Mothers Against Drunk Driving - is also trying out an idea in New Mexico that could be promising, as well. In that state and now others, convicted drunk drivers have to blow into a tube before they can drive a car. Any preventative idea like this is bound to save lives and that is the main objective.

Have you heard of MADD – Mothers Against Drunk Driving? During the first few years of MADD’s existence, drunk driving deaths went down. But in the 90s, deaths were on the rise again. And it’s just gone up since then. One in three traffic-related deaths is attributed to alcohol these days. That’s a very sad statistic. But it’s the way things are. And MADD is at it again to stop this number from going up. The organization is now trying to enact laws in each state that will require DUI offenders to blow into a tube before they are allowed to drive. It’s called an ignition-interlock test, and the group tested it first in New Mexico. In a year, the number of deaths decreased by 11 percent because of the test. And, the good news is that technology is very affordable. Something needs to be done because driving is not a right – it’s a privilege.

Clark’s Scion XB has something called "electronic stability control," a safety feature that has already saved him from a potentially horrible accident. The great news is that by 2012, all cars will have to have ESC, according to a new government edict. So, what is ESC? It's a new technology that automatically corrects a car that is about to flip, turn over and the like. GM and Ford are working on getting ESC in cars over the next few years. Toyota and Honda already have it in most SUVs and some other cars. So, ask about it if you're thinking of buying a car. We’ll keep you posted on progress, but this is actually something for which we should congratulate the government. Shocking, isn't it?

A few months ago, Clark talked about his Scion XB and how it had “electronic stability control.” He didn’t know much about it other than that it supposedly takes control of a vehicle if it’s about to roll over. Now the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has found that these devices are the second most important safety feature after seat belts. Right now, about one in three cars has this feature. But, if all vehicles on the road had it, traffic fatalities would drop by a third. Each year, 45,000 people are killed on the road each year. With this feature, it drops to 30,000. So far, the risk of rollovers has dropped by 80 percent with electronic stability control. But only high-end vehicles come standard with this feature right now. That includes Mercedes, Infiniti, Audi, Porsche, and BMW. It’s optional in other high-end vehicles and other mid-priced cars including the Mini Cooper, Toyota and Volkswagen. It will cost about $300 extra, but Clark thinks it’s worth it. Soon, this will be like having a seat belt in a car. Clark hopes it’s sooner rather than later!

It’s much safer on the roads today than it was in the 80s, even though there are 53 percent more vehicles on the road, according to the Dallas Morning News. That is great news! Why? Road design is so much better than it used to be and cars are designed much better than they used to be. As a result, there are fewer accidents. Stability control, which keeps us from overcorrecting, and accident avoidance equipment are just a few of the additions that prevent injury and death. There is a reverse negative effect for one group, however. Body shops are hurting for business. Fewer accidents mean less work for auto repair shops. But overall the news is good.

American drivers don’t do well in construction zones. If we’re told to slow down in construction zones, we don’t. We just ignore the signs. Illinois has had enough of drivers who can’t be bothered. The company tracks people’s speeds using decoy vehicles in work zones. Your first violation earns you a $175 ticket. The second will cost you $1,000! And if they can identify the driver, it’s a 90-day license suspension. Clark agrees 100 percent. There is no excuse for not slowing down. Red light cameras, on the other hand, are mostly about making money for the local government. But please remember that if you’re approaching an intersection and it turns yellow, you’re supposed to slow down not speed up.

In Great Britain, there is an automobile insurance company that has its very own clinic set up for car accident injuries. It’s set up specifically to deal with whiplash and other accident-related claims. According to the Florida Times Union, whip lash accounts for 80 percent of injuries in accidents. The real cost of accidents comes from fixing your body not your car. One in five dollars spent on accidents is for fraud. So, there are ways to reduce the amount you pay and what you claim if you’ve been involved in an accident. We’ll see how it works in Britain and let you know if it makes its way over here.

---

In other car news, you may have heard about Progressive Insurance and its tracking mechanism that records everything while you drive. It records how many miles you drive, how fast you drive and many other factors. In return for allowing the company to spy on you, your insurance goes up or down. Of course, people start driving better when they know they’re being spied on. If you’re willing to do that, it could reduce your insurance costs by a ton.

Automotive engineers are building cars that are smarter than we are. That’s because we’re in the third phase of automotive safety. We’ve been through the era of building barriers and other cushioned devices in the even that an accident occurs. We’ve put airbags in cars and installed seat belts that wrap more tightly around you if you’re in an accident. But what about preventing accidents in the first place? Cars are now being built with sensors, cameras and other devices that alert you or the car before an accident happens. One car has a speed monitor that automatically reduces your speed on highways; another has a digital camera that monitors your eyelids in case you’re getting sleepy. Read about all of these new devices at detnews.com.

. 3:30 – Clark always prefers that people buy used cars because they cost much less than new cars and still have a lot of life left. But the risk with used cars is that the car may have been in a wreck and you don’t know about it. That’s why Clark wants you to always do two things: have the car inspected and run a Carfax report. It’s especially important that you do both because Clark has just learned that in Oregon and Illinois it’s illegal to disclose information about accidents in which cars have been. Somehow, car dealers convinced the legislatures in these two states that a car is worth less if people know about those accidents. What about the people who buy the cars? Don’t they deserve to know that the car could be faulty and potentially endanger their lives. It’s essential that you have any used car checked out by a certified independent mechanic. Pay the money to have this done. And if a dealer refuses to allow you to do this, don’t buy from that dealer.

Maryland is now joining New York and Colorado in adding speeding cameras at intersections and stoplights. The cameras catch you on tape and send you a ticket in the mail. It seems like a good way t o prevent accidents, but the real goal of the cameras is solely to make money for local governments. Clark doesn’t agree with that. Red light cameras are used for the same purpose. And now there are lawsuits pending because the cameras were sending tickets to people who did not run the light. Of the two, the red light cameras bother Clark less than the speeding cameras. But, if you’re local government is thinking of trying either, Clark thinks you should make a fuss.

---

In other traffic news, European governments are taking a new tack on preventing traffic deaths among teens. In certain countries, teenage drivers have a mark on their cars letting others know who is behind the wheel. There is also a phone number and a code to use if the teen is driving erratically. Clark thinks we need to bring that system to the States.

This is going to be a bad year for deer. Hitting a deer is not only a traumatic experience, but it can also severely damage your car. One of the main recommendations is to be aware and alert while driving. If you see a deer, it means there are probably others nearby. So, back off the gas pedal. As harsh as it sounds, it’s sometimes better not to try and swerve around the deer if one is in the road. You can easily lose control of the car that way and harm yourself. Also, cars are coming equipped with all kinds of detection devices that warn you of something in the road or help you anticipate a collision. For example, if your car starts moving into the lane next door, there are systems that automatically pull the car back over. Other ideas from car makers include safety belts that turn into airbags in a collision. These are great to have if you live in deer territory.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is a force to be reckoned with in the auto industry. The IIHS exists in part to reduce the cost of insurance claims to auto insurers. But the organization is also influential because of its reports on safety mishaps in cars. As a result, automakers are going to the IIHS and having models tested before they are manufactured in great quantities. It’s great for everyone involved because cars are safer for consumers and automakers escape scrutiny in the media. Automakers are literally redesigning their cars to be safer. In addition, Dateline NBC has broadcast crash test information from the IIHs for several years. On the program, you can see which cars you will most likely die in if you’re in if you’re in a crash. When you’re buying a car, knowing whether it’s safe or not is crucial. So, check the latest results from the IIHS Web site.

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety conducted a survey into the fatality rate of most cars on the roads today. The survey revealed which makes and models are the most dangerous. The statistics have people in the auto industry up in arms because it called certain cars out on the carpet. They protested that the fatalities are due in part to the driver. So, what does the IIHS say? The tie for the most dangerous cars goes to tiny, 2-door sporty cars and pick-up trucks. Four-door small cars were not nearly as unsafe. And the safest cars were mid-sized sedans and mini-vans. Well, typical minivan drivers also drive SUVs, which are considered unsafe. So, how do you reconcile that? It’s partly related to the design of the car. SUVs have high centers of gravity, which can mean the car is more prone to tip or roll, especially if the driver is not experienced. So get your kids out of those SUVs and into something they can handle. Look at the stats at iihs.org

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is a force to be reckoned with in the auto industry. The IIHS exists in part to reduce the cost of insurance claims to auto insurers. But the organization is also influential because of its reports on safety mishaps in cars. As a result, automakers are going to the IIHS and having models tested before they are manufactured in great quantities. It’s great for everyone involved because cars are safer for consumers and automakers escape scrutiny in the media. Automakers are literally redesigning their cars to be safer. In addition, Dateline NBC has broadcast crash test information from the IIHs for several years. On the program, you can see which cars you will most likely die in if you’re in if you’re in a crash. When you’re buying a car, knowing whether it’s safe or not is crucial. So, check the latest results from the IIHS Web site.

The number of automobile deaths involving SUVs and no other cars is growing at an alarming rate. These accidents occur because SUVs have an unstable center of gravity and flip easily. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has internal documents from the Ford Motor Company stating that certain Ford employees know that Ford’s SUVs roof pillars are not safe. There are innumerable cases where people could have lived if they had safer roof pillars. Now Ford’s secrets are revealed. A Ford spokesman said Ford and Volvo are both safety pioneers and that there is no direct link between roof strength and automobile injury. Clark says this is simply not true. If a roof is not strong enough, then it will collapse when a car flips. Big doesn’t necessarily mean safe. Check crash test ratings for cars you’re considering buying.

Clark got rear-ended by one of the volunteers on his Habitat for Humanity project this weekend and it was one of the most pleasant traffic-accident experiences he’s had. Although the sudden jolt didn’t feel good, the woman who hit him was so honest and delightful that he didn’t mind. Not only did her insurance cover the cost of the damage and give him a rental car, but the one-stop shop service was the quickest he’d ever experienced. It was a minor repair in this case and Clark just needed some paperwork saying that the entire cost would be covered. It’s called a “preferred provider” arrangement. And you need a written guarantee to receive the repair. If these programs are not available to you, you want to make sure you take the care to a mechanic you trust. If it’s a minor fender bender, after market parts are fine. But if it’s a bigger wreck, make sure you get the best parts and make sure the parts are guaranteed.

Clark got rear-ended by one of the volunteers on his Habitat for Humanity project this weekend and it was one of the most pleasant traffic-accident experiences he’s had. Although the sudden jolt didn’t feel good, the woman who hit him was so honest and delightful that he didn’t mind. Not only did her insurance cover the cost of the damage and give him a rental car, but the one-stop shop service was the quickest he’d ever experienced. It was a minor repair in this case and Clark just needed some paperwork saying that the entire cost would be covered. It’s called a “preferred provider” arrangement. And you need a written guarantee to receive the repair. If these programs are not available to you, you want to make sure you take the care to a mechanic you trust. If it’s a minor fender bender, after market parts are fine. But if it’s a bigger wreck, make sure you get the best parts and make sure the parts are guaranteed.

One of the main reasons people to buy SUVs in such large numbers is the perception that they are safer than smaller cars. If you are driving an SUV and it collides with a smaller car, the SUV driver will probably fare better. But there has been a big problem with these SUVs flipping over because of the vehicle’s high center of gravity. As a result, the government has designed rollover tests that allow people to see how well an SUV does. The safest vehicles earn a “5,” while an SUV with a “3” has a tendency to rollover. So far, no vehicles have earned a “5,” and one vehicle got a “2.” Would you believe it’s one of the Ford Explorer models? The company has spent years – and lots of money - trying to overcome the negative publicity it got in the past because of rollover problems. But the trouble seems to continue for Ford. The Sport Track 4x2 earned the lowest rating of any SUV. Check out safercar.gov to see ratings on all SUVs. Cars with a 3-star rating or lower are questionable. And, putting a teenager in an SUV is never smart no matter what the rating. They don’t know how to handle these vehicles, and the casualties involved are staggering.