There were 85,599 new car registrations in Colorado from January to May 2017, compared to 82,077 for the same period in 2016.
Newer Cars and Trucks Bring Greater Safety to Consumers
To the disappointment of our neighbors in other states, more drivers in Colorado enjoy the shiny exteriors, pristine bumpers, and the sweet, sweet smell of new cars.
New car registrations rated 2.3 percent higher in May 2017 than in May 2016. And they’ve increased by 4.3 percent for the year, 85,599 new registrations from January to May 2017, compared to 82,077 for the same period in 2016, Denver Post writer Aldo Svaldi reported. He cited information from automobile sales tracker Kelly Blue Book and an Experian Automotive report released by the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association. Registrations for used car and trucks as old as seven years increased 9.89 percent over 2016.
Industry Crowing Over Increased Demand for Cars in ColoradoI
“We are tracking higher in Colorado than the nation as a whole,” Tim Jackson, CADA president told The Denver Post. Jackson credited the sales to the ability of manufacturers and new car dealers to offer incentives that attract buyers. He also mentioned the low unemployment, low-interest rates, and credit options available to most buyers.
Audi, Honda, Infiniti, Jaguar, Lincoln, Mercedes, Subaru, and Volkswagen have seen increases of 10 percent or more this year.
Storms and Other Natural Disasters Also Play a Role in New Purchases
Jackson didn’t mention the record-setting hail storm that caused about $1.4 billion in damage to vehicles and other property in Colorado on May 8. The Denver Post reported it to be the most costly hail storm in state history.
Carole Walker of the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association predicted after the storm in May that more than 150,000 car and truck owners would file insurance claims and more than 50,000 would file homeowner’s insurance claims. The next most-costly Colorado storms, July 11, 1990, and July 20, 2009, respectively caused $1.1 million and $845 million worth of claims, when adjusted for inflation.
Jackson, the auto dealer’s spokesman, also didn’t mention the cars and trucks totaled in the increasing numbers of serious and fatal auto accidents in Colorado.
Increased Fatal Car Accidents Claim Lives and Total Cars
More than 600 people died from accidents on the state’s streets roads and highways, per statistics kept by the Colorado Department of Transportation. The Denver Post reported the increase as an 11 percent increase from 2015 and the highest number of deaths in 10 years. Minor and serious accidents aren’t reported with the same care but are also increasing. To explain the increases, state officials often point to poor driving habits, such as distracted driving, and the state’s increasing population and more-congested roadways as the prime causes.
New Cars: Shiny, Chic, and Safer
Replacing your car due to a hail storm or other unfortunate event could save your life some day; updating your vehicle also comes with additional protection for you and your family.
According to various reports, newer cars and trucks have more safety features than ever before. They’ve become so safe that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently added a new distinction level to its Top Safety Pick designation for 2017 models, according to a report by Forbes magazine and contributor Jim Gorzelany.
Vehicles with the highest safety honors will have to earn the “Top Safety Pick+” designation. New cars and trucks must garner top scores in old-school crash tests to earn the highest safety rating. And they’ll have to feature an automatic braking system that can help avoid car accidents by slowing or stopping the vehicle in test scenarios. The systems typically trigger the brakes automatically when their infrared cameras or radar sensors detect obstruction in the road.