Last week, my wife, our two girls, and I were driving home on a quiet two-lane road just after dark. It was one of those drives where everyone starts to wind down. Collins was in her car seat behind me, drifting off to sleep. Kinleigh was beside her, IPad in hand. Celeste sat up front, talking softly, and I was driving.
Out of nowhere, a deer came out from the woods on the right side of the road. It happened in a split second. There was no time to swerve or slow down. The impact was loud, sudden, and heavy. For a moment, it felt like everything stopped.
When I looked around, my first thought was my family. Collins didn’t even stir. Kinleigh looked up, startled but calm. Celeste turned to me wide-eyed but unhurt. I could feel the Santa Fe steady underneath us. No airbag deployment, no sudden jolt inside the cabin. Just a strong, controlled stop. We pulled over safely, hearts racing but thankful.
When I stepped out and saw the front of the vehicle, the damage told the story. The bumper was cracked, the grille pushed in, and pieces of the lower fascia had broken apart and were all over the road. It looked bad from the outside, but what stood out to me was what didn’t happen. The cabin stayed sealed and stable. None of us had even a bruise.
That’s the difference a well-engineered vehicle makes.
The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe is built with a high-strength steel frame and advanced crumple zones that absorb impact energy before it reaches the people inside. It earned the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ designation, the organization’s highest rating, and received five stars overall in NHTSA crash testing. It’s equipped with Hyundai’s SmartSense safety suite, including Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection, Lane Keeping Assist, Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist, and Safe Exit Warning. These aren’t just technical features on a window sticker. They’re the systems that kept my family safe on a dark road when it mattered most.
I sell and service Hyundais, and I’ve always believed in the product. But that night, I saw firsthand why Hyundai invests so much in safety. The vehicle took the full force of the impact and did exactly what it was designed to do, protect the people inside.
You can fix a car. You can replace a bumper. But there’s no replacing your family.
That’s why we drive Hyundai. That's why I trust my wife and daughters safety to them. Because it’s not just about style or technology. It’s about trust. It’s about knowing that when the unexpected happens, you’re in one of the safest vehicles on the road.
If you’ve ever wondered what makes Hyundai stand out, come see for yourself. Visit us at Homer Skelton Hyundai and experience Express Buying, the fast, simple, friendly, and fair way to shop for a car you can depend on. Because peace of mind isn’t something you should have to add on, it should come standard.
