Can A Jeep Wrangler Be A Family Car?
If you are thinking about purchasing a Jeep Wrangler as a family car you have come to the right place! We are going to cover everything you need to know about whether a Jeep Wrangler can and should be used as a family car.
Can A Jeep Wrangler Be A Family Car?
Jeep Wranglers can be used as family cars . They can even fit multiple car seats. Due to the Jeep Wrangler’s purpose as an offroading vehicle and the removable top, there are some things you should consider before deciding to use the Wrangler as a family car.
Let’s dive into the details…
you will understandably be concerned about whether or not it is safe for your family.
All vehicles that are permitted on the road are tested for safety, but that does not mean that they are all equally safe. Compared to other cars on the market, the Jeep Wrangler rates high for off-roading activities, and low to mid range for on-road driving.
In this article we will give you an overview of the Jeep Wrangler safety ratings, Jeep Wrangler safety reviews, and safety concerns for driving a Jeep Wrangler.
In addition to all that information, we will also answer some of the most frequently asked questions about Jeep Wrangler safety; such as: Do Jeep Wranglers flip over? Which model of Jeep is the safest? Are Jeep Wranglers safe for teenagers to drive?
Jeep Wrangler Safety Ratings
If you are looking for a direct answer to how safe Jeeps are to drive, you should look directly at the statistics to see an accurate view of how these vehicles test overall in terms of safety and performance.
All vehicles that are on the roads are manufactured to reach certain levels of safety, but that does not mean that all vehicles on the road are equally safe to drive.
Newer Jeep Wranglers have improved their designs in many ways to improve the safety ratings beyond that of the older models. For normal road conditions, the Jeep Wrangler ranks low to mid at best compared with other road vehicles.
That is because the Jeep is designed to do things that other cars cannot. For off-roading, they are one of the highest if not the highest rated for safety, especially when they have been modified specifically for off-roading.
Jeeps are tested and certified to meet government safety requirements before they hit the road, and they rank pretty average when it comes to safety ratings for vehicles that are of that size.
They are best for off-roading adventures such as driving at the beach, through sand, dirt, mud, and to destinations that are not reachable by two-wheel drive.
How Safe Are Jeep Wranglers in an Accident?
Jeep Wranglers have been tested as all vehicles are to see how well they perform in an accident. Compared to overall ratings for all vehicles on the road, it rates mid to low in scales of safety.
This does not mean that the Jeep Wrangler does not meet the required safety ratings, it just means that compared to ALL of the vehicles on the road it performs average at best.
The Jeep Wrangler is best used for off-roading, and there are safer SUVs for use on the road.
If you are buying a Jeep Wrangler it is likely that you have an adventure in mind, in which case you should consider that Jeep Wranglers are some of the best cars for off-roading safety and performance and they are fairly to easy to modify compared to other vehicles.
You can add rock rails, vinyl siding, and other adjustments to the Jeep Wrangler that will make it even safer for use in off-road terrains.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Ratings
The Jeep Wrangler does not have the total four tests done by the NHTSA which means that it cannot have an overall safety ranking.
However, it has been tested for two out of the four tests and the results are available to the public as individual scores. In a simulated car crash with a straight-on impact with two people in the Jeep Wrangler into a wall, the Jeep Wrangler tested four out of five stars which is an average/good score.
The Jeep was only tested for head-on collision and not side collision, one of the four NHTSA tests.
Jeep Wrangler Safety Features
The Jeep Wrangler comes with some built-in safety precautions such as airbags and antilock brakes.
The safety precautions that are included in the Jeep Wrangler are average for most cars, although the newer models do have further safety innovations that make them safer than the older models. Here is a list of the safety features that are available on Jeep Wranglers.
All Jeep Wranglers
- Front and side airbags
Front and side airbags are meant to cushion the head, neck, and back in the case of an accident. In some cases, deployment of the airbag can cause injury such as whiplash, but will usually prevent more injury than they cause.
If the airbags accidentally deploy it can definitely cause an accident and injure the driver or passenger which is why the airbags should be tested and certified for safety and installed by a professional.
- Anti-lock brakes
Anti-lock brakes, otherwise known as ALB, are a standard safety feature in all modern cars. The ALB will detect heavy braking and prevent accidents such as skidding from locked brakes. If the wheel is about to lock up, the system will stop the brakes.
The release of the brake only occurs for a brief moment to prevent the brakes from locking up and then release so you can regain control of the vehicle under circumstances of heavy braking.
- Traction control
Traction control is a feature on cars that monitors the speed and performance to prevent accidents such as reducing wheel spin.
The wheel can spin out of control in high speed situations, causing the car to dart out of control, and traction control can help your car retain it’s driveability even in high-stress situations.
One of the best things about traction control is how it helps your car stay steady on slippery surfaces such as rain or snow, preventing further accidents.
- Stability control
While stability control and traction control both work to help your car maintain a safe acceleration during slippery, high-speed, or other high-stress situations, there are a few differences between the two features.
Traction control prevents the car from sliding during acceleration or braking at high-speeds, whereas the stability control uses the brakes to detect when the car is about to lose control and helps it regain stability.
Both the stability controls and the traction controls rely on the anti-braking system to detect unstable conditions, which is why it is essential for all of these components to function together effectively.
New Jeep Wranglers
- Software to prevent flipping over
Because Jeep Wranglers are slightly more likely to flip over due to their top-heavy design, the new Jeep Wranglers have added additional advanced software to prevent the SUV from flipping over in the case of a crash.
The additional innovations to the stability controls make the new Jeep Wranglers less likely to flip over than the older models.
- Rearview cameras
The rearview camera in a Jeep uses sensors to detect when objects are close by, helping you to see obstacles in your way such as people and cars, making them very safe to drive.
Modern technology is great for providing new innovations in safety for drivers such as rear view cameras with sensors.
- LATCH points for car seats
If you are looking for a Jeep Wrangler for a family car and you have small children, you will be happy to learn that the new Jeep Wranglers all have LATCH points which make it easy for you to strap in a car seat.
The easy to use LATCH points help to ensure that the carseat is in safely, with no complication installation.
- Tire pressure monitoring
Blowing out a tire on the highway is an easy way to cause a wreck, especially for a large SUV with a high center of gravity such as the Jeep Wrangler. The new Jeep Wranglers will monitor the tire pressure and alert you when it is getting low.
Filling the tires with the proper amount of air is part of the weekly and monthly maintenance you need to do to keep your Jeep running safely. If you drive your Jeep off-road you should check the tire pressure both before and after the off-roading adventure, and the tire pressure monitoring feature makes it easy.
- SOS safety buttons
In the case of a wreck, accident, or another emergency, many new vehicles including the Jeep Wrangler have added an SOS safety button which is strategically placed.
In the case of an accident if you are injured or you cannot reach your phone, you can press the SOS button to call for police assistance and help.
Are Jeeps a Safe Car For Teenagers to Drive
As the saying goes, a car is as safe as the person driving it. In some cases this is very true. While Jeep Wranglers may not be the safest car on the market for a teenager to drive, it still rates average in safety tests and is perfectly safe for a licensed individual to drive on the road.
There are certain Jeep specific safety concerns, maintenance, and tips that you should be aware of when purchasing a Jeep for a teenager.
If you plan on modifying the car, make sure that the modifications are done by a reputable dealer and not by an inexperienced person (such as the teenager).
Jeep Wranglers are also vehicles that contain a lot of power, which means that teenagers could be tempted to push it to its limits. For this reason, we suggest only buying a Jeep for a mature and trustworthy teenager.
High-quality lift kits and other modifications for Jeeps can improve the safety off-road, while reducing the safety on-road, which is why you should keep in mind whether or not you intend to use the Jeep for on-road driving, off-roading, or both.
The safety features on a Jeep Wrangler are average for all vehicles, including things such as airbags and antilock brakes. The Jeep performed average as well for impact tests, making it a decent vehicle for teenagers to drive.
For off-roading activities it is one of the safest vehicles to drive, and it can be modified to accommodate bigger wheels with more tread.
Do Jeep Wranglers Flip Over?
Jeep Wranglers have been tested to see whether or not they flip over more often than other cars.
Although there are still many more tests to be done, such as testing the roof strength on a Jeep Wrangler to see how it holds up when it flips, the NHTSA gave it a rating of three out of five stars compared to other vehicles when it comes to flipping over, which is not horrible, but certainly is not great either.
The increased chance of the Jeep Wrangler flipping over is due to the higher center of gravity and top-heavy design.
Certain modifications such as “lifting” the vehicle can make it safer for off-roading activities, while negatively impacting the performance on road, increasing the chance of flipping over. The total chance of rollover during an accident is about 26.7% according to the NHTSA, which is a little higher than a lot of SUVs.
The statistics for Jeep Wranglers are slightly skewed based on the fact that they are testing Jeep Wranglers for on-road performance, as well as mixing those results with the statistics for how many total Jeep Wranglers flip over including those involved in high-intensity off-roading activities that can result in Jeeps flipping over such as mudding, driving in the snow, and driving through rocky terrain.
Safety Concerns For Driving a Jeep Wrangler
If you are looking to purchase a Jeep Wrangler there are probably some safety concerns that you have. In this section of the article we will address the answer to the question “What are the main safety concerns for driving a Jeep Wrangler?”.
Jeep Wranglers are powerful vehicles and they are only as safe as the person driving, which is why one should take caution when buying a teenager a Jeep Wrangler.
Will the Jeep Wrangler flip over?
The Jeep Wrangler has a slightly higher chance of flipping over than other vehicles, but it is perfectly safe to drive and has rated average compared to most other cars and SUVs that are on the road.
There are safety innovations in the new models of Jeep that will further reduce the chances of the Jeep flipping over.
The statistics for Jeeps flipping over are slightly unreliable because they are testing the Jeep Wranglers for their performance on-road, while most flips actually happen during off-roading.
Do they have safety features built-in?
All Jeep Wranglers have safety features built-in such as airbags and anti-lock brakes, but the new models have even further safety features such as rear-view mirrors and even back-up rear view cameras.
Another great feature that the new Jeep Wranglers have is an SOS button that can be used in case of a car emergency such as a wreck or carjacking.
Can you modify a Jeep Wrangler to make it safer?
Yes! There are additional parts and modifications that you can add to a Jeep Wrangler to make it safer for both on-road and off-road driving.
If you have an older model of Jeep Wrangler that does not have the newer innovations, you may want to add some safety precautions such as a rearview camera, etc.
You can add rock rails to a Jeep for off-roading activities which will prevent the cars bottom from being scraped up by rocks and other obstacles in rough terrains.
Which Model of Jeep Wrangler is the Safest?
The safest models of Jeep Wranglers are the newest ones that are on the market. The 2019 and 2020 models of Jeep Wrangler have innovations that the previous models do not, such as software that is developed to further reduce the chances of the vehicle flipping over on accident.
The 2020 Jeep Wrangler is especially made to increase the safety of the passengers, with such great features as a rear view camera, an SOS button, and tire pressure monitoring.
If you are wondering which model of Jeep Wrangler is the safest, you should be advised that the newest models are the safest.
The older models will have the basic safety requirements such as airbags and anti-lock brakes, but not the innovative new technologies included in the latest Jeep Wranglers.
One of the best new features on the latest Jeep Wrangler is the blind spot monitoring, which uses high-tech radar sensors to detect vehicles which are in your blindspot to prevent accidents. For parking, it is super advanced and will assist you with parking in any situation.
Conclusion
The Jeep Wrangler is an SUV that is engineered to be safe on-road and off-road. Compared to other vehicles on the road, it is a little more likely to flip-over due to it’s top heavy design, but it rates average in all other aspects.
It is a safe care for anyone to drive, however it possesses a lot of power that should only be trusted with a responsible driver. These SUVs are made to last and with adventure in mind.
The stock version of the Jeep is able to go places other cars cannot, and with certain lifts and modifications they can be even safer for off-roading.