The inexpensive small cars, the Chevrolet Aveo and Chrysler PT Cruiser join the Cadillac STS and Mercury Grand Marquis as some of the most dangerous vehicles of 2010.
According to crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:
- The way a car handles itself during a crash tells about the severity of the occupants’ injuries
- Some cars hold up better than others
- Tiny cars and low-level sedans are especially at risk
- Bigger cars, because of their mass, generally fare better in tests–but may be more likely to roll.
The Cadillac STS fared poorly in rear-collision tests.
The most dangerous cars based on the IIHS crash-test results on 2010 model-year vehicles for each overall front, side and rear ratings:
- A “poor” rating means severe and possibly fatal trauma happened to drivers and/or passengers during the crash
- A “good” rating means little to no trauma occurred: Received 4/12 points
- Acceptable received 3 /12 points
Mitsubishi Gallant and Nissan’s Titan truck score only slightly lower in otherwise safe classes.
- The Jeep Wrangler two-door received “poor” side-impact ratings
- The Jeep Wrangler four-door received “marginal” side-impact rating
The Jeep Wrangler’s removable doors hurt their side-impact test scores.
- The Chevrolet Aveo, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Cadillac STS and Mercury Grand Marquis: They have the worst crash-test ratings in their class.
They each received “marginal” test-results for side- and rear-impacts.
The IIHS tests are more severe than those administered by the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- IIHS’s front test is a 40-mile-an-hour front-offset collision into an unmoving barrier. Its side crash is a T-bone collision set at 30 miles an hour
- NHTSA tests head-on collisions by a concrete barrier striking at 35 mph. Researchers there evaluate fewer sections on the dummy’s head, chest and legs. Its side impacts are set using a 1.5-ton trolley set at 38 mph
The good news for the Bigger and the midsize car Owners
Bigger cars: In a crash, vehicles with more mass fare better than smaller vehicles
- A 5,500-pound Chevrolet Tahoe will beat a 1,000-pound Nissan Micra
The midsize cars: There are a number of midsize cars with the less powerful engine.
- They give gas mileage that is comparable to many of the smaller cars
- Crossovers and wagons being midsize as opposed to small offer the size advantage with good crash-test ratings
The newest, most expensive safety options are no more the newest, most expensive safety options
- Automakers often put the newest, most expensive safety options in their high-end line first, to test driver acceptance
- Then, as awareness increases and production volumes rise, manufacturers install the same features in mainline vehicles, with less cost attached
- When non-luxury-brands tout safety, manufacturers try to find breakthroughs that aren’t very expensive
Poor driving is to blame too
Texting while driving: A bill passed would fine drivers for texting while driving.
- According to AAA 8,000 crashes occur each day nationwide and 80% of them are caused by distracted driving
- According to the National Safety Council, an Illinois-based organization the average economic cost per traffic fatality in 2007, was $1.1 million and $61,600 for a disabling injury
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