Apr 10, 2008 5:47 pm US/Eastern
Mid-Size Cars Barrel Though Latest Crash Tests
ARLINGTON, VA (CBS4) ―
'My what a difference four years makes', according to Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which has just released results of a brand new round of testing of the side impact protection offered by mid-sized cars.
The biggest differences, according to IIHS's David Zuby, was improved interior designs and more air bags in key places.
"There are a lot more SUV's and pickup trucks out there, which, when they strike the sides of cars are right at the driver's head," said Zuby. "All seven of the mid-sized models tested now have side air bags as standard equipment. Six of them; the Dodge Avenger, the Infiniti G35, the Nissan Altima, Chevrolet Malibu, Saturn Aura, and the Mitsubishi Galant were rated "Good" in the side-crash test. Kia's Optima was "Acceptable."
As for front end tests, Zuby said all seven of the models tested received "Good" ratings.
As for crashes involving the rear of the vehicle it was a very different story.
Only Kia's Optima received a "Good" rating. The Avenger received an "Acceptable," while the Infiniti G-35, Nissan Altima, Chevrolet Malibu and Saturn Aura were all rated as "Marginal." The Mitsubishi Galant was "Poor."
While rear impacts don't often lead to serious injuries or fatalities, they're common in stop-and-go traffic and often leave painful reminders.
"It's disappointing, because we don't think it's all that hard to provide protection for the neck in rear-end crashes," said Zuby, "and it's taking a while for manufacturers to fit seats and head restraints that offer better protection."
Zuby said this latest round of crash tests confirm what auto safety engineers have been finding for years; most motor vehicles built to tougher "foreign" standards have set and headrest systems that provide better protection to passengers than comparable U.S. models.
Click Here to see the full results of the IIHS testing.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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