Autoblog

It's not a surprise that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) would be backing a proposal that has the potential to lower the amount of damage vehicles sustain in crashes, and therefore lead to less costly repairs for insurers. What is surprising is the NHTSA's stubborn attitude about accepting outside suggestions. The proposal is simple enough; the IIHS recommends that trucks and cars use the same bumper standards for greater crash compatibility. Being cynical and following the money does lead one back to the fact that such a change would save the insurance industry a large sum, but so what? Saving the insurance industry money saves us poor saps a few nickels, too – or the rates continue to be just as expensive while the corporate robber barons pocket the increased profits.

NHTSA has heard this argument before, rejecting petitions for porting the car bumper standard to light trucks in both 1984 and 1991. The IIHS is hoping that this time around, the fact that it's an organization proposing the change, and their new research, will sway the regulatory body in a more favorable direction. The IIHS used the Ford Explorer and its more car-compatible bumpers to demonstrate in tests that both vehicles in a crash would sustain less damage without exacting any penalty in usefulness or capability. NHTSA is already on the case of vehicle compatibility in a broad sense, and will likely try to roll any bumper-centric work into that effort. It would seem like a no-brainer to have cars and light trucks with bumpers that match up, but it's taken the past century of automotive production and dependence to get the idea any kind of traction. With that kind of glacial pace, we should start petitioning now in anticipation of a super-tight oil supply and incoming waves of sub-A class vehicles. We sure wouldn't want to get mauled by an Explorer on our way to get milk and bread in our Nano in 2030. IIHS Press Release after the jump.

Click on the image above for pics of our uncrashed 2009 Acura TSX

The all-new 2009 Acura TSX was recently crashed into a barrier at 40 mph, and smacked with a side sled at 31 mph, by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS). While the last model (2005-2008 with side airbags) scored "good" in frontal, and "acceptable" in side impact testing, the 2009 model received the highest scores ("good") in both tests. When combined with the improved rear crash test results (seat and head restraint design), the new TSX earned the Institutes's "Top Safety Pick" rating.

While our caps are off to Acura, we think it is time to revise all crash test standards (IIHS and NHTSA). Each time the results are released, we can't help but think that the automakers have learned how to ace the tests over the years. Let's bump up the speed in the barrier and sled tests (maybe throw a random angle in there to make things challenging?), and focus more on dynamic safety. As always, this team prefers to avoid the accidents in the first place.

[Source: IIHS]

Hyundai Motor America's all-new 2007 Entourage (shown above) has garnered the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's gold "Top Safety Pick" award, with the best rating ever for a minivan. The Entourage is also the first Hyundai to receive an IIHS "gold" award.

The Entourage includes six standard airbags, including side-curtains for all three rows and torso-protecting side air bags. The minivan also includes Electronic Stability Control as standard. Hyundai says that by the end of this year, standard ESC will be included on 70 percent of its vehicles sold, which it is quick to point out is a record for a non-luxury brand.

[Source: Hyundai Motor America via PRNewswire]

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has altered its testing policy for frontal offset crashes, allowing automakers of top-rated vehicles to submit test data to verify before the institute issues a rating. Nine vehicles for 2006, including the Buick Lucerne (pictured), Hyundai Azera, and the Toyota RAV4, have already received good ratings based on submitted data from their automakers.

The IIHS instituted the new policy based on automakers' improvements in frontal crash protection. Note: only redesigned vehicles are eligible for this policy. The institute will still test 'substantially redesigned' models, and will also perform audits on eligible vehicles to verify automakers' data.

The IIHS plans to use resources freed from the new policy towards side-impact crash tests and avoidance technologies.

[Source: Associated Press via  Houston Chronicle]