Adrian Lund
Adrian Lund
along body hold injuries protect regions serious side structure structures vehicle vehicles
Side airbags can protect the head, but if the vehicle structure doesn't hold up well then serious injuries to other body regions still can occur, ... With better structures along with the side airbags, the performances of these vehicles would improve.
curtain factors front good heads impact injuries job keeping pickup serious side striking struck tall vehicle
In each of the top-performing minivans, the curtain airbags did a good job of keeping the dummies' heads from being struck by the intruding barrier. This is important because head injuries are factors in many serious side impact crashes, especially when the striking vehicle is a pickup or SUV with a tall front end.
absorb crash driver energy freestyle good likely minor needs performance performer severity side sustain vehicle
In the frontal test, the driver's side of the vehicle needs to absorb the energy of the crash and keep the occupant compartment intact, ... The Freestyle's performance is what we like to see. A driver in a real-world crash of this severity would be likely to sustain only minor injuries. The Freestyle is a good performer and a 'best pick' in the frontal test.
both crash designed front hard heads hit including key people pickup protected protection reducing represents risks side striking tall test vehicle
The heads of both dummies were protected from being hit by any hard structures, including the intruding test barrier. Side airbags, especially those designed to protect the head, are key in reducing risks to people in side impacts. The Institute's test represents a crash in which the striking vehicle has a tall front end like a pickup or SUV, so head protection is critical.
devices good head likely people protection restraint safety vehicle
People think of head restraints as headrests, but they're not. They're important safety devices. You're more likely to need the protection of a good head restraint in a collision than the other safety devices in your vehicle because rear-end collisions are so common.
beginning conduct consumers cost designs encourage expect means perform provide released results shop tests
More manufacturers are requesting tests when they have new designs they expect to perform well. We encourage this because it means the test results will be released earlier, as consumers are beginning to shop for new models. When we do conduct tests early, the automakers provide reimbursement for the cost of the vehicles.
focus ford instead level model performance preferred recent
We would have preferred for Ford to go back to this performance level for bumpers on the Focus instead of equipping the new model with even flimsier bumpers than those on the recent model Escorts it replaces.
adequate against begin below buyers decided designs five ford freestyle good head hundred inches job less means people protection provide puzzling ranger recent restraint seat taller three top
Ford has been doing a good job with some of its recent seat designs such as those in the Freestyle SUV and Five Hundred sedan. But the new Ranger head restraint is more than three inches below the top of the head of an average-size man. This means it won't begin to provide adequate protection for many taller people in rear-end crashes. It's puzzling why Ford decided that buyers of the new Ranger should get less protection against whiplash than people in some of its other vehicles.
impact poor rated rear seats
It's disappointing that so many minivan seats are rated poor for rear impact protection,
aspect auto head improve marginal poor restraint stage testing
It's encouraging that only 12 of the 58 seat/head restraint combinations we evaluated didn't make it to the testing stage because of marginal or poor geometry. The auto manufacturers have been working to improve this aspect of head restraint design.
attention attracting
It's attracting a lot of attention for distinctive styling, ... but the bumpers aren't praiseworthy.
current designs institute none rated tested
When the institute first tested midsize SUVs in 1996, none was rated good. Now, there are 16 current midsize SUV designs rated good.
head looking protection provide rear seats
They don't provide seats with head restraints that provide the kind of protection we're looking for in rear crashes.
ahead both buyers engineered models quickly results
Audi and Infiniti are ahead of many of their competitors in side-impact protection. They engineered the new models to do well in both of the Institute's tests, and they want to get the results out more quickly to demonstrate to buyers their cars' state-of-the-art crashworthiness.