With high-speed crashes producing greater number of crashes, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety toughened its side-crash testing procedures for 2021.
That’s because side-impact crashes accounted for 23% of automobile occupant deaths in 2019, according to the IIHS.
As a result, the insurance industry-funded organization introduced the more arduous side crash test. The group’s consistently developed new tests to better replicate real-world experiences.
How the new test differs
For its new test, the IIHS made the barrier heavier and increased its traveling speed when striking a test vehicle. The new barrier weighs 4,180 pounds — about the weight of a midsize SUV — and travels at 37 mph when it hits the vehicle. The previous test used a 3,300-pound barrier traveling at 31 mph. As a result, the energy involved in the test is 82% greater.
In addition, the striking surface of the new barrier has a new design that better represents a real SUV or pickup, a reflection of America’s changing vehicle mix, one where nearly 80% of buyers choose SUVs, crossovers and pickups, all of which outweigh sedans.
Otherwise, the test remains the same. Ratings are based on how well the passenger compartment structure survives the crash. Dummies placed in the driver’s seat and the rear seat behind the driver that simulate a small woman or 12-year-old child. Injury measurements are culled from them after the accident.
The test’s new barrier design tends to bend around the B-pillar, much like SUVs and pickups do in side crashes. This causes the doors of the vehicle being hit to intrude into the occupant space, with catastrophic results. The IIHS says OEMs will have to use horizontal door beams to reduce the intrusion and better protect occupants.
But the added weight comes as automakers are struggling with the added weight of electric drivelines and batteries, all of which take a toll on a vehicle’s energy consumption.
What the new test reveals
The results of the changes are sobering. Of the 20 small SUVs tested by the IIHS, only one, the 2021 Mazda CX-5, earned a good rating. Nine vehicles were deemed Acceptable: the 2021-22 Audi Q3, Buick Encore, Chevrolet Trax, Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester, Toyota RAV4, Toyota Venza and Volvo XC40.
“We developed this new test because we suspected there was room for more progress, and these results confirm that,” IIHS President David Harkey said in a statement. “The good rating for the CX-5 shows that robust protection in a more severe side crash is achievable.”
But the news gets worse from there. The 2021-22 Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape, GMC Terrain, 2021 Hyundai Tucson, Jeep Compass, 2021-22 Jeep Renegade, Kia Sportage and Lincoln Corsair earned Marginal ratings. Two vehicles, the 2021-22 Honda HR-V and the 2020 and 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross were rated as Poor.
Small SUVs provide varying degrees of protection
Even for higher-rated vehicles however, there’s a big degree of inconsistency in how well these vehicles’ safety. Only six of those tested, the Mazda CX-5, Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester, Toyota RAV4, and Toyota Venza, earn good or acceptable scores for both chest and pelvis protection.
The IIHS said testing revealed the Honda HR-V’s B-pillar began to tear away from the frame, resulting in the side of the vehicle to crushing inward almost to the center of the driver seat. Likewise, the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross’s structural weakness and inadequate seat-mounted airbags resulted in it being the only vehicle to earn a poor rating for driver chest protection.
A bright spot for General Motors and Nissan
Despite their overall performance, the Chevrolet Equinox (and its twin, the GMC Terrain) demonstrated a strong structure. Their Marginal rating overall stemmed from inadequate head protection and an elevated risk of head injury risk for the rear passenger and elevated chest injury measures for the driver.
The same was true for other vehicles, ones that might have earned a good rating, yet only managed a marginal one. Consider the Buick Encore, which yielded a marginal driver chest injury, or the Nissan Rogue, with inadequate head-protecting airbags. But the Rogue nabbed Good ratings for structure and safety cage, as well as head, neck, chest and pelvic injuries.
“Obviously, these results aren’t great, but they’re in line with what we expected when we adopted this more stringent test,” said IIHS Senior Research Engineer Becky Mueller. “There’s no single reason why so many side crashes still result in fatalities, but these results provide a roadmap for specific improvements that can save lives.”