A new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) shows multiple midsize SUVs rate badly for backseat safety in crash tests. The IIHS tested 13 midsize SUVs for front crash protection and gave a “poor” rating to six models.
Per the organization: “IIHS recently updated its longstanding moderate overlap front crash test to add a rear passenger dummy positioned behind the driver. Although the test still includes a driver dummy, rear passenger protection is the main thing currently differentiating vehicles in this test.”
Thirteen midsize SUVs were tested, and only four earned good ratings.
- Ford Explorer: GOOD
- Ford Mustang Mach-E: GOOD
- Subaru Ascent: GOOD
- Tesla Model Y: GOOD
- Chevrolet Traverse: MARGINAL
- Toyota Highlander: MARGINAL
- Volkswagen Atlas: MARGINAL
- Honda Pilot: POOR
- Hyundai Palisade: POOR
- Jeep Grand Cherokee: POOR
- Jeep Wrangler 4-door: POOR
- Mazda CX-9: POOR
- Nissan Murano: POOR
IIHS explains they updated rear seat safety testing because “In vehicles from model year 2007 onward, the risk of a fatal injury is 46 percent higher for belted occupants in the rear seat than in the front. This isn’t because the rear seat has become less safe, but because restraint technologies have only improved in the front seat.”
The good news, though, is that the proper safety restraint technologies exist (the cars with a “GOOD” rating are using them, right?) so these car manufacturers have no excuse not to implement them.
Says IIHS Senior Research Engineer Marcy Edwards, “Zeroing in on weaknesses in rear seat safety is an opportunity to make big gains in a short time, since solutions that are already proven to work in the front can successfully be adapted for the rear. The four good ratings in this round of testing show that some automakers are already doing it.”
How do the safety tests work?
The IIHS safety test features a Hybrid III dummy that represents a small woman or a 12-year-old child in the second row behind the driver. The test employs specific metrics that target the injuries that are most commonly observed in rear-seat occupants.
For a GOOD rating, the second-row dummy’s sensor readings must not exceed certain limits that indicate an excessive risk of injury to the head, neck, chest, abdomen, or thigh. The effectiveness of the restraints is confirmed by video footage and grease paint applied to the dummy’s head, which must show that the head was prevented from hitting the vehicle interior or coming too close to the front seatback. Further, the restraints must have prevented the dummy’s body from “submarining,” which is sliding forward beneath the lap belt and causing abdominal injuries. A pressure sensor is also employed to monitor the position of the shoulder belt on the dummy’s torso, which helps assess the risk of chest injuries.
The importance of seat belt use
Consumer Reports (CR) points out all rear-seat passengers must utilize their seat belts: “In a 2017 IIHS study, only 74 percent of passengers reported buckling up in the rear seat compared with 91 percent of front-seat passengers, even though unbelted rear-seat occupants are eight times more likely to be injured in a crash and twice as likely to die compared with belted rear-seat occupants.”
We can’t overstate the importance of seat belt use. When a car crashes, the force of the impact can cause passengers to be thrown around the cabin, collide with other objects or passengers, or be ejected from the vehicle altogether. The use of a seat belt can help prevent or mitigate many of these outcomes, reducing the risk of serious or fatal injuries.
One of the main ways that seat belts protect passengers in a car accident is by restraining them in their seats. When a car comes to a sudden stop or changes direction rapidly, unbelted passengers can continue to move at their previous speed until they collide with something else in the car or are ejected. This can result in serious injuries such as head trauma, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, and internal organ damage.
Seat belts work by spreading the forces of a crash over a larger area of the body, which helps to reduce the risk of serious injuries. By restraining the upper body and pelvis, seat belts can prevent occupants from being ejected from the vehicle or from colliding with other objects in the car. They also help to distribute the force of a crash more evenly across the body, reducing the likelihood of injuries to specific body parts such as the head or chest.
Despite the clear benefits of seat belt use, many people still do not use them consistently. There are many reasons why people do not use seat belts, ranging from discomfort and inconvenience to a false sense of security or a belief that they will not be involved in a crash. However, these reasons pale in comparison to the potential consequences of not using a seat belt. In a car accident, the difference between wearing and not wearing a seat belt can mean the difference between walking away unscathed and suffering life-altering injuries.
If you were injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault – whether or not you were wearing a seat belt – the attorneys at Banks & Jones want to help. Our experienced car accident attorneys have decades of experience helping people just like you secure the compensation to which they’re entitled. To schedule a free consultation in our Knoxville offices, call us or use our contact form.
T. Scott knows the importance of interacting with colleagues to stay abreast of developments and changes in the legal world. T. Scott frequently teaches CLE courses on trial strategy, teaching other lawyers his methods for success in the courtroom, and is certified as a Rule 31 Mediator in the Tennessee Supreme Court. He is a member of the Knoxville Bar Association, the Tennessee Bar Association, the National Trial Lawyers, and both the Tennessee and American Associations for Justice.
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