Adrian Lund
Adrian Lund
consumers crash information offset providing tests useful
The frontal offset crash tests aren't providing consumers with much useful information anymore.
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.
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.
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.
common good kinds protection provide results serious
Results for (the Rav4) show manufacturers can provide good protection for occupants in the two most common kinds of serious crashes,
impact poor rated rear seats
It's disappointing that so many minivan seats are rated poor for rear impact protection,
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.
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.