How the IIHS Tests Rear-Seat Safety
New crash research helps determine the safest vehicles for passengers sitting in the back.
Jun 14, 2024 | 3 min read
IIHS
Crash test ratings are a huge selling point for new vehicles today. To help car buyers make an informed decision, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) publishes detailed data from its crash tests. Families with children riding in the back seats might be particularly interested in rear-passenger crash test results.
IIHS Crash Test History and Innovation
The IIHS has been testing cars at its Vehicle Research Center in Virginia since 1992 and publishing crash test ratings since 1995. Today, the Institute conducts several crash tests, including the small overlap front crash, moderate overlap front crash, and side impact crash test. The IIHS also evaluates vehicle headlights, seat belt reminders, child-seat anchors, and crash-prevention technology to assess overall vehicle safety.
The IIHS regularly updates its tests to reflect the evolving conditions drivers face on the road. Its research found that rear-seat passengers were becoming injured more severely than front-seat occupants. This led to an updated moderate overlap front crash test to address the difference in safety for front and rear passengers.
A new crash dummy representing a small, 12-year-old female passenger, usually placed in the second row behind the driver, was also introduced to evaluate rear-seat safety.
How Does the IIHS Perform Its Crash Tests?
The moderate front overlap test involves sending a vehicle toward a barrier at 40 mph, with only the left 40% of the vehicle's front end striking the barrier. Inside the car, a dummy in the front seat represents the driver, and a dummy in the rear seat represents a child or small female.
Additional frontal crash tests are conducted in different areas of the vehicle's front end. A small overlap test strikes the barrier with 25% of the front end, performed for both the driver and front passenger side. While the driver-side small overlap test is conducted with one dummy, the passenger-side test has two dummies: one standard-sized in the front and a smaller dummy in the back.
The IIHS also conducts a side crash test in which a 4,200-pound barrier is pushed into the side of the vehicle at 37 mph. Two smaller dummies are inside the car, one in the front and the other in a rear seat.
Dummies are covered in colorful greasepaint so technicians can see what parts of the dummy contact the vehicle's interior or airbags. Ideally, the dummies should only hit the airbag rather than other parts of the interior or the crash test barrier.
The IIHS technicians review the crash using high-speed film to identify how the crash unfolds. They not only review the paint marks but ensure the dummies don't exhibit simulated injuries, meaning limbs remain intact and aren't bent unnaturally after the crash.
What Determines an IIHS Rating?
After reviewing the data, the IIHS provides scores for each test. There are four grades, with Good as the highest score, followed by Acceptable, Marginal, and Poor.
Vehicles scoring a Good rating in the side-impact crash test and the front overlap tests and that also rate well in crash-prevention systems and lighting assessments can earn a Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ rating. This aggregate score can help shoppers quickly understand what is considered a safe vehicle in a given class.
Written by humans.
Edited by humans.
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