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Institute for Highway Safety Crash Tests
The
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) regularly
crashes new vehicles to test and analyze their safety
performance. The IIHS is a great resource for consumers
who wish to check the crashworthiness of a vehicle they
may be considering or are interested in other highway
and driving safety issues.
The
IIHS is an independent, nonprofit, organization funded
by insurance companies intended to reduce crash injuries
and death as well as property losses. NBC's Dateline
news program often features these tests and their results
in its investigative reports. Insurance companies rely,
in part, on crash test results from the IIHS to help
determine premiums for automobile insurance policies.
Additionally, some auto manufacturers make safety improvements
to their vehicles based on the results of these tests.
Unfortunately, some manufacturers do not.
The
IIHS conducts an "offset" impact crash test
that mimics the effect of an off-center head-on collision-one
of the most common types of vehicular crashes. The government
test crashes the vehicle head-on into a flat wall-a
far less common occurrence in real world driving. Manufacturers
rarely disclose either the types of their internal crash
testing or their results.
The
test methods of the IIHS are considered by most to be
far superior and more realistic than those conducted
by manufacturers and the government. However, some manufacturers
and other supporters of the government tests often discount
the results of the IIHS and stand by their own respective
crash test results.
It
is highly likely that a car can do well on an individual
manufacturer's tests and the government tests but do
poorly on the IIHS test. Because of the disparity in
testing methods, issues have arisen as to whose tests
have the most credence. But what is more important to
note is the manner in which manufacturers handle test
results. Does the company shrug off any unfavorable
results of the IIHS tests and promise the newer model
to be better? Or does the company improve the quality
of its cars immediately by fixing problems and/or recalling
cars, if necessary?
While
any crash test information can be helpful in determining
the safety of an automobile, the results of the IIHS
appear to be the most realistic, unbiased, and applicable
to real world situations. Such (additional) testing
can only be viewed as beneficial for consumers-and manufacturers,
in the long run.
For
more information about the Institute, and the results
of the many crash tests that it has conducted, check
out its web site at www.hwysafety.org.
*Editor* please add the following table as a sidebar
to this article.
Top-of-the-Line
Vehicles
2002 Lexus ES 300 Best Pick
2002 Lexus IS 300 Good
2002 Saab 9.5 Good
2002 Volvo S60 Good
2002 Jaguar X Type Good
Mid-Size,
Moderately Priced Vehicles
2002 TL Hyundai XG350 Good*
2002 Acura TL Best Pick
2002 Toyota Camry Best Pick
2002 Nissan Altima Best Pick**
*Hyundai
had a brake line problem when tested, but it recalled
all affected cars and fixed the problem. Afterward,
the IIHS rated the XG350 "Good."
**Nissan recalled all affected Altimas to fix a delay
in the airbag and, subsequently, received a "Best
Pick" rating.
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