Mustang Mach-E, Model Y earn good rating in IIHS rear-seat safety test

Solely 4 of 13 midsize SUVs earned good rankings when it got here to defending rear-seat passengers in an influence, based on new crash exams carried out by the Insurance coverage Institute for Freeway Security. Of that 13, two have been battery-electric autos—the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Tesla Mannequin Y—and each achieved good rankings, as did the Ford Explorer and Subaru Ascent.

The IIHS has been crash-testing automobiles at its Automobile Analysis Middle in Virginia because the early Nineties after noticing that almost all head-on collisions have been offset, one thing the federal authorities’s crash exams didn’t account for. Since then, the group has added a number of different crash exams that automotive producers are desirous to go so as to earn a coveted “High Security Choose” ranking.

The IIHS up to date its average overlap entrance crash take a look at in 2022 after turning into pissed off that front-seat security positive aspects made by the business haven’t been shared with these sitting at the back of a automotive.

In reality, the one federal crash exams that contain a take a look at dummy sitting within the again seat are the Federal Motor Automobile Security Requirements side-barrier influence take a look at and the intently associated New Automotive Evaluation Program side-barrier influence, even if based on the Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration, virtually 60 p.c of crashes in 2020 have been front-impact crashes.

The IIHS’s new average overlap take a look at now incorporates a Fifth-percentile Hybrid III dummy sitting within the second row behind the motive force to simulate a small lady or 12-year-old little one. The IIHS says that to achieve a very good ranking, the second-row dummy should not register extreme accidents to its head, neck, chest, stomach, or thighs. The dummies have grease paint utilized to their heads to point out whether or not or not the top impacted with the car inside, and the seatbelt should not permit the dummy to “submarine” out from beneath it or trigger belly accidents. And defending the rear-seat occupants cannot come on the expense of the motive force’s security.

“Zeroing in on weaknesses in rear-seat security is a chance to make huge positive aspects in a short while, since options which might be already confirmed to work within the entrance can efficiently be tailored for the rear,” mentioned IIHS Senior Analysis Engineer Marcy Edwards, who led the event of the up to date take a look at. “The 4 good rankings on this spherical of testing present that some automakers are already doing it.”

The Ascent, Explorer, Mannequin Y, and Mustang Mach-E every held the rear passenger dummy’s pelvis in place throughout influence, and the facet curtain airbags did their jobs. The IIHS famous a slight threat of head accidents within the Ascent and Explorer and mentioned that in these SUVs and the Mannequin Y, “the rear dummy’s head approached the entrance seatback, which will increase the chance of head accidents.”

Which automobiles didn’t accomplish that effectively?

The Chevrolet Traverse, Toyota Highlander, and Volkswagen Atlas every scored marginal rankings for rear-seat safety. The IIHS says there was a slight threat of head or neck accidents within the Highlander and Atlas and a extra vital threat of these accidents within the Traverse. The seatbelt pressure was excessive sufficient within the Atlas and Traverse to run the chance of chest accidents, and the Highlander’s seatbelt moved from the dummy’s pelvis to its stomach.

Six of the 13 examined SUVs didn’t rating effectively in any respect, incomes poor rankings from the IIHS. These have been the Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler 4-door, Mazda CX-9, and Nissan Murano. A few of these autos—the CX-9, Grand Cherokee, Murano, Palisade, and Pilot—registered a excessive threat of head or neck accidents to the rear occupant. The rear seatbelt pressure contributed to a excessive threat of chest accidents within the Grand Cherokee, and the rear dummy’s head ended up between the window and the side-curtain airbag because it rebounded from the preliminary influence.

The Jeep Wrangler confirmed a big threat of head and neck accidents to the rear passenger, and in the course of the crash take a look at, the rear seat belt moved from the dummy’s pelvis to its stomach. The Wrangler additionally lacks a side-curtain airbag for the rear occupants.

The IIHS says that the crash take a look at knowledge confirmed that every one 13 SUVs protected the motive force, though the Atlas crash take a look at confirmed a big threat of harm to the motive force’s proper leg, the Traverse crash noticed the motive force dummy’s head hit the steering wheel by way of the airbag, and the Wrangler’s facet airbag on the motive force’s facet didn’t deploy.

“All these autos present wonderful safety for the motive force,” mentioned IIHS President David Harkey, “however solely a handful lengthen that stage of security to the again seat.”