IIHS
According to a new crash test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Road Safety, only four out of 13 midsize SUVs scored well in terms of protecting rear seat occupants in a crash. Two of his 13 are battery electric vehicles (Ford Mustang Mach E and Tesla Model Y), both of which have earned rave reviews as well as the Ford Explorer and Subaru Ascent.
The IIHS has been crash testing cars at the Vehicle Research Center in Virginia since the early 1990s after noting that most head-on collisions are offset, but this is not considered in federal crash tests. was not Since then, the organization has added several other crash tests automakers are eager to pass in order to earn the coveted “Top Safety Pick” rating.
After frustrating that front-seat safety gains made by the industry weren’t shared with people sitting in the back of the car, the IIHS decided to introduce medium-overlap frontal crash tests in 2022. The has been updated.
In fact, the only federal crash tests that include a test dummy seated in the back seat are the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards Side Barrier Crash Test and the closely related New Vehicle Rating Program Side Barrier Crash Test. Nearly 60% of crashes in 2020 were head-on crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
IIHS
In IIHS’ new Moderate Overlap Test, a 5th percentile Hybrid III dummy sits in the second row behind the driver to simulate a small woman or 12-year-old child. The IIHS states that the second row dummies must not have excessive damage to the head, neck, chest, abdomen or thighs in order to receive a good rating. The dummy’s head had grease paint on it to indicate if her head had crashed into the car, and the seatbelts could prevent the dummy from “submarine” from underneath or damage her abdomen. should not be allowed to cause And driver safety cannot be sacrificed to protect rear seat occupants.
Marcy Edwards, senior research engineer at IIHS, said: The person who led the development of the updated test. “His four good ratings in this battery of tests shows that some automakers are already doing that.”
The Ascent, Explorer, Model Y, and Mustang Mach-E each held the rear occupant dummy’s pelvis in place during a crash, with side curtain airbags doing just that. The IIHS notes that there is a small risk of head injury in the Ascent and Explorer, noting that in these SUVs and the Model Y, “there is no risk of head injury due to the proximity of the rear dummy’s head to the front seatback. has risen,” he said.
Which car didn’t do so well?
The Chevrolet Traverse, Toyota Highlander, and Volkswagen Atlas each received marginal ratings for rear seat protection. Highlander and Atlas had a small risk of head and neck injuries, while Traverse had a higher risk of those injuries, according to the IIHS. The Atlas and Traverse seatbelt tensions were high enough to risk chest injuries, while the Highlander seatbelts moved from the dummy’s pelvis to the abdomen.
Six of the 13 SUVs tested did not score well at all and received low ratings from the IIHS. These were the Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler 4 Door, Mazda CX-9 and Nissan Murano. Some vehicles, such as the CX-9, Grand Cherokee, Murano, Palisade and Pilot, have been reported to pose a high risk of head and neck injury to rear seat occupants. In the Grand Cherokee, the rear seatbelt tension increased the risk of chest injury, and the rear his dummy head rebounded from the initial impact and got stuck between the window and side his curtain and his airbag.
IIHS
The Jeep Wrangler represents a serious risk of head and neck injury to rear occupants, and during crash testing the rear seat belt moved from the dummy’s pelvis to the abdomen. The Wrangler also lacks side he curtain airbags for rear occupants.
According to the IIHS, crash test data showed that all 13 SUVs protected drivers, while Atlas crash tests showed a significant risk of injury to the driver’s right leg. However, in the Traverse crash, the driver’s dummy head hit the steering wheel through the airbag and the driver’s side Wrangler’s side airbag did not deploy.
“All of these vehicles offer excellent driver protection, but only a handful extend that level of safety into the back seat,” said IIHS President David Harkey.
