IIHS Concerned Automakers Are Designing To Pass Crash Tests Not To Improve Safety
A recent study conducted by the US Insurance
Institute from Highway Safety revealed that while drivers of vehicles
that received good ratings in institute’s challenging small overlap test
can expect to be protected well in case of a crash, the passengers
sitting next to them might not be so lucky.
Therefore, the results made IIHS to consider to tighten its
evaluation by adding a passenger-side rating as part of its Top Safety
Pick criteria.
“This is an important aspect of occupant protection that needs more attention,” said Becky Mueller, an IIHS senior research engineer and the lead author of the study.
“More than 1,600 right-front passengers died in frontal crashes in 2014.”
The Institute said a passenger-side small overlap ratings could start
next year and make it a requirement for one of its safety awards as
early as 2018.
(AutoSpies.com)
