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Tag: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

  • Crash safety test results show how popular electric vehicles performed

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    New safety test results show how some popular electric vehicles performed in collisions and avoiding pedestrians. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently examined how seven EV’s performed.

    In tests simulating a crash between vehicles traveling in opposite directions at 40 mph, four of the seven vehicles tested – the BMW i4, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Tesla Cybertruck and Volkswagen ID.Buzz – earned good ratings, which is IIHS’ top rating.

    The Tesla Model 3 earned a passing rating of acceptable, while two other vehicles have room to improve.

    “Today’s models almost all offer good front-seat protection in this kind of crash. Back seat performance, which IIHS started evaluating in 2022, is what differentiates vehicles,” IIHS said in its news release detailing the results.

    The Nissan Ariya SUV rated marginal because the IIHS injury metrics showed a high risk of chest injuries to back seat passengers.

    The Ford F-150 Lightning earned the lowest score – a poor rating. The rear seated dummy showed a high risk of chest, head or neck injuries and that dummy’s seatbelt moved from the ideal position on the pelvis onto the abdomen.

    “That is not something we want to see in any crash,” IIHS vice president Raul Arbelaez said.

    “Most people think … bigger is better. Heavier is better and certainly we had that with the Ford F-150 Lightning. The vehicle structurally held up really well in this crash, but fell short in protecting the rear seat position.”

    IIHS also looked at pedestrian crash avoidance technology. Most of the vehicles tested performed well.

    New ratings showed the BMW, Ford and Tesla models all scored top marks, joining the Ariya, which previously earned ratings of good for its standard and optional systems.

    For headlights, five of the seven vehicles tested earned acceptable ratings. However, both the BMW and Cybertruck had lights earning a poor rating.

    Automaker responses

    In response to the latest test safety results, automakers released the following statements to CBS News.

    Ford

    “Safety is a top priority. The 2024 Ford F-150 received an IIHS Top Safety Pick and Ford F-150 Lightning meets or exceeds all current safety regulations and requirements, including receiving a 5-star overall National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rating – among the top on the market today. IIHS recently changed their moderate front overlap test procedure for the second row. We are always working to continuously improve, and we consider IIHS and other third-party feedback in vehicle development.”

    Nissan

    “Nissan is committed to producing vehicles that meet or exceed all applicable laws and regulations. The safety and security of our customers and their passengers is paramount. Nissan is evaluating the results from this revision of the moderate overlap test and will continue to work with IIHS in all matters related to customer safety.”

    Tesla and BMW did not respond to CBS News’ request for comment.

    Kris Van Cleave

    Emmy Award-winning journalist Kris Van Cleave is the senior transportation correspondent for CBS News based in Phoenix, Arizona, where he also serves as a national correspondent reporting for all CBS News broadcasts and platforms.

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  • Jeep Wagoneer excels as other large SUVs fall short in safety tests

    Jeep Wagoneer excels as other large SUVs fall short in safety tests

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    When it comes to driving a safe SUV, size matters, but some larger models offer more protection than others, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, or IIHS. 

    Case in point: the Jeep Wagoneer is the only one of three popular large SUVs to qualify for a 2024 Top Safety Pick award, which is one step down from its highest ranking, IIHS said Thursday in releasing new ratings.

    The Chevrolet Tahoe and Ford Expedition, also bestsellers, fell short for reasons including subpar performance in the small overlap front crash test, the Arlington, Virginia-based nonprofit said. More than 90% of new models have sailed through the evaluation with good ratings since 2021, IIHS noted. 

    All three vehicles are designed to haul people and to tow boats and campers, yet none offer good protection for backseat passengers, an issue that kept the Wagoneer from earning the higher-tier Top Safety Pick+ award.

    “The huge mass of these large SUVs provides some additional protection in crashes with smaller vehicles, though that also means they present more danger to other road users,” IIHS President David Harkey stated in a release. “The flip side of their large size is that there is a lot more force to manage when they crash into a fixed obstacle like a tree or bridge abutment or the barrier we use in our front crash tests.”

    Good rating

    The Wagoneer did a good job maintaining survival space for the driver and front passenger in the small overlap evaluation. It performed slightly worse in the driver-side test: slight intrusion in the footwell brought a modest risk of injury to the driver’s left foot and ankle, IIHS found. In both driver-side and passenger-side tests, the front and side curtain airbags prevented crash dummies’ heads from hitting the vehicle’s rigid structures.

    “This recognition validates the dedication of our engineers, who integrated state-of-the-art technology in every aspect of the Wagoneer’s design,” said Bill Peffer, senior vice of Jeep North America, in a statement to CBS News. “The combination of a robust body structure and a comprehensive suite of over 120 standard and available advanced safety features, helps create a secure environment for drivers and passengers.”

    Acceptable rating

    The Tahoe maintained adequate survival space for the driver, but substantial risk of lower leg injuries. Performance was worse in the passenger-side test, with IIHS finding a high risk of injury to the right foot and moderate risk of injury to the passenger’s left leg. 

    “We are confident in the safety of the Chevrolet Tahoe that achieved a 4-star safety overall rating from NHTSA’s comprehensive New Car Assessment Program,” said General Motors spokesperson Bill Grotz in a statement provided to CBS News. “We value consumer metric ratings from IIHS and will look to incorporate these latest findings into our new vehicle designs.”

    Marginal rating

    The Expedition did not perform well in the tests of either side. In the driver-side test, the steering column partially detached from the instrument panel, and in both tests the A-pillar separated from the rocker panel. Excessive intrusion into the footwell contributed to a high risk of injury to the driver’s right leg and moderate risk to the left. Footwell intrusion was also seen in the passenger-side test to a lesser degree, IIHS found.

    The vehicles were given varied ratings in other tests, including pedestrian crash avoidance. Front crash prevention systems in the Expedition and Wagoneer were given good marks, while the Tahoe was given a marginal ranking. 

    A Ford spokesperson provided CBS News with the following statement:

    “Overall: The 2023 and 2024 Expedition meets or exceeds the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) regulatory requirements, and it is the only vehicle in the segment to achieve a five-star overall vehicle score in NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).

    “For small overlap: Expedition is carefully designed to provide excellent protection for its own occupants and protection of occupants in other vehicles in multi-vehicle accidents, which were not replicated by the IIHS small overlap rigid barrier test. Designing SUVs in Expedition’s weight category to perform better in the small overlap rigid barrier test could potentially increase injury to occupants in lighter-weight vehicles involved in a crash.  

    “For moderate overlap: IIHS recently changed their moderate front overlap test procedure for the second row, however, Expedition received a “Good” rating in the previous moderate overlap test. We are always working to continuously improve, and we consider third-party feedback in vehicle development.”

    Kate Gibson

    Kate Gibson is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch in New York, where she covers business and consumer finance.

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  • Some pickup trucks fail to protect passengers in the rear seat, study finds

    Some pickup trucks fail to protect passengers in the rear seat, study finds

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    Four popular pickup trucks do a poor job of protecting back-seat passengers in some crashes, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

    For the 2023 model year, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 crew cab, Ford F-150 crew cab, Ram 1500 crew cab and Toyota Tundra crew cab all fell short in expanded tests conducted by the organization that assesses the impact of accidents on people seated in the rear when vehicles are struck from the side or front. 

    IIHS expanded the testing after research found that the risk of fatal injuries in newer vehicles is now greater for people in the second row than for those in the front. The front seat has gotten safer because of improvements in air bag and seat belts, which typically aren’t available in back. 

    But restraint systems in the rear are inadequate, according to the institute, a nonprofit organization supported by insurance companies that focuses on curbing injuries and deaths from vehicle crashes. 

    The F-150, Ram 1500 and Silverado are rated as poor in protecting rear passengers. IIHS rates the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 crew cab as “acceptable” in keeping back-seat passengers safe. All four trucks provide good protection in the front, the institute found. 

    For a vehicle to earn a good rating, crash tests must show there is no excessive risk of injury to the head, neck, chest or thigh of a person seated in the second row, IIHS said. Dummies used in the tests should also remain correctly positioned without sliding forward beneath the lap belt, which raises the risk of abdominal injuries, while the head should remain a safe distance from the front seatback.


    On Your Side: IIHS list of 2023’s safest vehicles

    02:40

    “Like most other vehicle classes, large pickups don’t perform as well in the new moderate overlap evaluation as they do in the updated side test,” IIHS President David Harkey said Tuesday in a statement announcing the organization’s latest crash-test findings.

    “We routinely consider third-party ratings and factor them into our product-development process, as appropriate,” said Eric Mayne, a spokesperson for Ram-maker Stellantis in a statement. “We engineer our vehicles for real-world performance. The protection of our customers is an integral part of the upfront design of a vehicle’s structure. Every Stellantis model meets or exceeds all applicable federal vehicle safety standards.”

    Spokespeople for General Motors and Toyota did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for Ford could not immediately be reached.

    After surging during the pandemic, traffic fatalities have declined in 2023, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Roughly 19,515 people died in vehicle crashes in the first half of the year, down from 20,190 over the same period last year.

    Alain Sherter

    Alain Sherter covers business and economic affairs for CBSNews.com.

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