When it comes to cars, my husband and I won't trade on safety.

Don't get me wrong. I'm all for the Obama administration’s proposed 54.5 miles-per-gallon carbon pollution and fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks. And who doesn't feel a real sense of American pride to learn of the renewed optimism and drive for innovation that NRDC's Roland Hwang said has been on display this month at the Detroit Auto Show?

I'm thrilled with the jobs this will create and the revenues it will generate for the industry and the country. I love that I could drive from New York City to Chicago without refueling. I’m thankful that improved fuel efficiency will reduce our nation's vulnerability to oil price shocks and our contribution to climate pollution. But when my husband and I go to buy a car, our money is on the one with the best safety record. Which, as it turns out, could very well be the more fuel-efficient car.

Saving at the pump no longer means skimping on crash protection. According to new research by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, hybrids have a safety edge over their gas-guzzling counterparts. On average, researchers found, "the odds of being injured in a crash are 25 percent lower for people in hybrids than people traveling in non-hybrid models."

What's changed? For hybrids, it's the weight. "Hybrids on average are 10 percent heavier than their standard counterparts," says Matt Moore, HLDI vice president and an author of the report. "This extra mass gives them an advantage in crashes that their conventional twins don't have."

For a new generation of more fuel-efficient non-hybrids, good design and materials matter more so than weight. That's why "regulators have adopted standards that are indexed to vehicle size," Hwang explains at a House Subcommittee Hearing on the Historic Clean Car Standards. Then there is "no regulatory incentive to downsize" [pdf] as a way to meet the rules.

"One of the best examples is the next generation iconic SUV, the Ford Explorer," Hwang points out. "Keeping size essentially the same, Ford has taken out 150 pounds of weight from its next generation, by moving to a car-like chassis and lighter weight materials. And with an Ecoboost engine, the vehicle is 20 to 30 percent more fuel-efficient, with no compromises in safety."

Drivers can expect more of this type of innovation from automakers as a result of the national program. Crossover Utility Vehicles (CUVs) are another example of a new crop of car that has much lower safety risk than truck-based SUVs of similar size. Crossovers use lighter-weight, unibody construction. This has safety advantages that include a lower center of gravity, which reduces the cars’ propensity to roll over, and less rigid frames and lower bumpers, which make them less dangerous to the cars they hit. Many drivers may be unaware that in addition to smaller crossovers like the Ford Escape, Honda CRV, and the Toyota RAV-4, many of the most popular mid-size SUVs are now in fact, CUVs -- including the 2012 Ford Explorer and Dodge Durango. View some of the latest hybrid sedan and CUV models in this slideshow.

My husband feels safer in a CUV, but if I had any say in the matter (which to be honest, I don't), I'd steer us toward the new Chevrolet Spark. This minicar recently earned the maximum five stars in the Korean New Car Assessment Program's frontal crash test, offset frontal crash test, and side crash test. The Spark also scored a four-star rating in pedestrian protection, with the best scores ever for any car category. As someone who walks far more than she drives, that's a safety test to turn heads.