Nutty drivers litter our nation’s roads. Every highway in America sees its share of aggressive road ragers, drunks meandering home from the bar, inexperienced teenage drivers in powerful imports, stubborn grandfathers who forgot their glasses, annoyed girlfriends on cell phones, and overworked middle managers going over the details of that presentation one more time. Factor in how incredibly easy it is to get a driver’s license in this country, and you’ve got a pretty good argument for staying home 24/7.

Unfortunately, few of us have that luxury and must place ourselves, and our families, into the madness that is modern day traffic. You need to get to the office. The kids need to go to school. That being the case, it’s imperative that safety ranks right up there with style and comfort when shopping for the family car.

Of course, most families are on a tight budget, so safety has to be weighed against affordability. Thankfully, you don’t have to spend a fortune to secure a safe ride for the kids. With that in mind, we’ve analyzed current crash test data* to determine the safest family vehicles currently on the market for $30,000 or less. If you’re concerned about your safety, and that of those you love, take a minute to familiarize yourself with the vehicles listed on the following pages.

But, whatever ride you find yourself in, drive safely. And watch out for the other guy.

* Data current as of June 20, 2005