For the first time, electric cars have been tested in safety crash tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Leaf both earned top scores for front, side, and rear-impact crashes, as well as for rollover crash protection.

The Institute says that both vehicles are protected because of the heavy battery packs. While both vehicles are classified as small cars, the weight caused by the battery packs put them closer to large sedans. They state the Volt has a mass closer to that of the Chevy Impala, while the Leaf is similar in weight to the Nissan Altima. Heavier vehicles protect the occupants because the cars are less likely to be thrown around in an accident.

However, two other electric vehicles, the Gem e2 and the Wheego Whip both performed poorly on side-impact tests. These two cars are more like golf carts, and don't have to meet federal safety standards since they run at very low speeds. The test was done for research purposes only.

The federal government has not yet released any information on crash tests of the Volt and Leaf.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, please contact the Accident Lawyers Network to find an experienced personal injury lawyer in your area.

Five people were killed in Croatan National Forest in North Carolina when the SUV they were in apparently rolled over and sank into a canal. The dead include two infants and another young child.

Authorities say that the accident occurred sometime between 5:30 pm and 6:00 pm on Saturday evening. Croatan National Forest is north of Camp Lejeune. Tire marks on the gravel road show that speed was probably a factor in the SUV rollover. The storms that have blasted North Carolina do not seem to have been a factor at all.

Officials said the children were found strapped in their child seats when the SUV was pulled from the canal. The woman was found in the driver seat and was also strapped in. The man was not, which authorities say could indicate he was trying to get the woman and the children out before they all drowned.

Croatan is 160,000 acres of bogs, salt water estuaries and pine forests located in the middle of North Carolina's Atlantic coastline. The road the accident occurred on is isolated and reportedly has been the scene of several fatal accidents when people run off the road.

If you have lost a loved one in an SUV rollover accident anywhere in the country, please contact the Accident Lawyers Network to find an experienced personal injury attorney in your area.