IIHS Findings: Big SUVs Not Always Safer than Smaller Vehicles

IIHS says big SUVs not necessarily safer than smaller vehicles

Crash tests of body-on-frame sport-utilities show potential injuries to second-row passengers were particularly worrisome

Author of the article: Matthew Guy

Jumbo-sized SUVs may not provide all-star protection in the second-row, per recent IIHS crash tests

All that aside, the burly 2023 and 2024 Jeep Wagoneer earned a Top Safety Pick Award

The Institute's updated moderate-overlap crash tests continue to be a tough task for automakers

Brutish body-on-frame SUVs are less than stellar when it comes to protecting second-row occupants, according to a new crash tests of a trio of the things, conducted by the boffins at the independent Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Testing officials hurled examples of the new Chevrolet Tahoe, Jeep Wagoneer, and Ford Expedition into immovable barriers, subjecting them to a battery of exams, including the notoriously difficult moderate-overlap crashes plus side-impact wrecks.

All three did well protecting the driver, with the Wagoneer besting its two competitors overall to emerge with a Top Safety Pick rating.

But examiners noted concerns with all three machines after taking measurements from dummies seated in the second rows of these SUVs. "Measurements taken from the rear dummy showed a fairly high risk of chest injuries because of high seat-belt forces," read the report.

For example, the human analog perched in the Tahoe's second row of seats is said to have shown "a high risk of head or neck injuries" along with a chance of chest or abdominal injuries thanks to the lap portion of a seat-belt sliding away from its ideal position on the lower body. Testers noted a presence of second-row belt pretensioners in the Expedition, a feature that can mitigate belt forces, but injury metrics were no better than those seen in the other two SUVs.

IIHS says big SUVs not necessarily safer for all | Driving

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