When it comes to buying a new car, safety should be your number one priority. It's all very well looking good in your shiny new motor, but if you hit a tree or another car and it's got the protective qualities of a paper hat you'll be in real trouble. Never fear though, technology is improving every year, and making sure you don't end up in casualty has become a principal selling tool for every manufacturer. As a consequence, and to keep the manufacturers on their toes, the stringency of the testing procedure has also increased. Euro NCAP, the guys who love to smash cars into walls, are seen as the standard bearers for vehicle safety. Recently they've overhauled their test, making it harder than ever for a car to achieve the fabled 5* rating.

Previously, NCAP gave each car a rating across three categories. Now though, there's just one overall rating for every vehicle which covers Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Pedestrian Protection and Safety Assist. Basically, every car is rated between 1 and 5 stars. If you've got a car that's 1*, we'd recommend not plowing it into a wall. If you've got a 5* rated car, we still wouldn't recommend plowing it into a wall, but if you do you?ll probably be a bit better off. Now, cars can only get the full 5* rating if 85% of the range come fully equipped with bags of safety features as standard and that the remaining models at least have the option to have them fitted. One of the most important of these devices is ESC (Electronic Stability Control), this is a system that independently powers the wheels and adjusts the throttle when it senses the car is about to skid, helping you stay in control, which can only be a good thing.

This new rating system came into effect in February so the number of cars tested isn't huge and the number of 5* ratings lower still. However, there are a few manufacturers that have a number of models topping the new scale. Honda (Accord, Civic, Jazz), Audi (A4, Q5), Toyota (Avensis, IQ), and Volkswagen (Golf, Tiguan) have all set the precedent. But there are numerous other marques that have also reached 5* status with their latest models: The Mazda 6, Mitsubishi Lancer, Volvo XC60 and the Vauxhall Insignia to name a few.

The Citroen C3 Picasso was the first new car to be tested that gained points for its onboard speed limitation device, something most of the subsequent models also offered, it achieved a 4* rating. Despite the introduction of the new testing procedure, the old 5* rating is still an effectual guide for both adult and child protection. Recent high scores have been gained by the Mercedes C Class (5* adult, 3* child), Volvo C30 (5* adult, 4* child), Alfa Romeo MiTo (5* adult, 3* child), Ford Mondeo and Fiesta (both 5* adult, 4* child) and the Fiat 500 (5* adult, 3*child). To find your car's NCAP rating head over to www.euroncap.com.