We cannot ignore the immense advances in safety made in recent decades in the automotive world. Thanks to a stricter regulatory framework, among other things, cars have never been so safe.
Posted at 6:45 p.m.
Still, there’s always room for improvement, as shown by the results of the revised side crash test protocol conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
The American organization recently tested five mid-size sedans, a compact sedan and a station wagon by applying a new version of this particularly important test.
From now on, the mobile barrier weighs 1900 kg, an increase of 400 kg. It is also projected more quickly against the vehicle tested, at 60 km/h against 50 km/h previously. The idea is to make the test more realistic in a context where SUVs have become the majority on the roads.
Of the seven vehicles analyzed, only the Subaru Outback obtained the highest possible score, described as “good”. The Honda Accord received a so-called “average” rating. The Hyundai Sonata and Volkswagen Jetta, midsize and compact sedans, came out with a so-called “acceptable” score. The Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima and Chevrolet Malibu ranked at the bottom of the list with overall performance rated as “poor” by the IIHS.
This lackluster performance is explained by the fact that sedans are obviously lower than SUVs, which makes them more vulnerable. The moving barrier thus collides higher up on the doors, making the shield less effective.
For the three sedans that obtained the lowest score, the dummy’s head went under the side curtain to hit the window sill molding directly.
The IIHS states that these models had all received so-called “good” ratings in the previous test.
It is estimated that these new parameters increase the energy deployed during the collision by 82%.