Side Crash Tests of Large Cars Reveal Interesting Results

Last week, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released test results for side impact ratings of large cars. Three of six large car models tested earned the top rating of good, but one was rated marginal in the side impact crash tests. The Institute ratings of good, acceptable, marginal, or poor are based on a crash test in which a barrier designed to replicate the front end of a typical SUV or pickup truck strikes the tested vehicle in the side at 31 mph.
The best performers were the Acura RL, Kia Amanti, and Volvo S80, all 2007 models. The Volvo also earned the Institute’s 2007 TOP SAFETY PICK award for superior overall crash protection. The Volvo’s selection was based upon the fact that it rated good in the Institute’s front, side, and rear tests and has electronic stability control as standard equipment. The 2007 Cadillac STS and Mercedes E class earned acceptable ratings. The lowest rating was given to the 2008 BMW 5 series, which earned the second lowest rating of marginal for side impact protection.
These side impact tests are important because side impacts are the second most common fatal crash type after frontal crashes. About 9,200 people in passenger vehicles were killed in side impacts in 2005. In crashes with other passenger vehicles during 2004-05, 49 percent of driver deaths in 1-3-year-old cars and minivans occurred in side impacts, up from 31 percent in 1980-81. During the same time, the proportion of driver deaths in frontal crashes declined from 61 to 46 percent.
The testing indicated that the price of a vehicle does not necessarily translate into safety. The lowest priced vehicle in the group the Institute tested, the Kia Amanti, was one of the best performers. One of the most expensive models, the BMW 5 series, was the worst.