Road Reality » IIHS

IIHS Top Safety Pick: 2011 Sonata

admin — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:00:08 +0000

We’ve reported on the 2011 Hyundai Sonata before, but now the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has given one of its coveted “Top Safety Pick” awards to the new model. The IIHS only gives Top Safety Picks to those cars which include Electronic Stability Control and garner “good” scores in all front, side and rear crash tests. With its new look and engines, and now this award, the Sonata looks like it’ll be a great seller for Hyundai in 2010. Note that this is also the first Sonata to receive the Top Safety Pick award.

by John Suit

Source: IIHS

Transportation Secretary LaHood looks to stem in-car distractions?

admin — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:00:53 +0000

Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood (pictured) has gotten some good TV time this week. First he warned American drivers of Toyota’s recalled vehicles to park them immediately. Shortly thereafter, he retracted part of that statement in a “clarification” in which he told drivers to get their recalled cars to Toyota dealerships as soon as possible. In a report which came out Friday on the Detroit News, LaHood is apparently looking to limit in-car distractions for drivers.

He’s already gone after texting and general cell phone usage by drivers, and now is looking to limit the bells and whistles we take for granted these days. LaHood is quoted as saying he’s, “going to talk to the car manufacturers and see where this leads.”

While the NHTSA says that in 2009, 6,000 people were killed by inattentive or distracted drivers and that more than 800,000 drivers are using hand-held phones while driving each day, a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) on hand-held phone bans in California, Connecticut, New York, and Washington D.C. had no discernible effect on the number of traffic accidents. LaHood explained this away by blaming a lack of police enforcement of those bans.

I’d like to see how far this goes, as more and more cars come equipped with bluetooth-compatible radios and hands-free dialing capability, and the number of crashes hasn’t significantly risen, even though the number of drivers in America has.

by John Suit

Source: Detroit News

The Safest Cars in America: IIHS Top Safety Picks for 2010

roadreality — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:00:45 +0000

Since 2006, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tests each car model for sale in the United States in several crash scenarios. They run them into walls, barriers, other cars, poles, all the major accident types. Speeds range from 5 mph to 40 mph, and all of the results are analyzed and finally tallied. The vehicles which earn “good” ratings in each of the 4 tests are added to the “Top Safety Picks” list for that model year. This year, the IIHS added a “roof stability” test, which pushes a metal plate at a constant speed into one half of the roof of a vehicle. How well the car sustains this crushing force determines its score.

With this new test, recent winners such as Toyota, BMW and Mazda were left out in the cold. Chrysler modified its seats and head rests in order to garner better crash ratings for its vehicles, as did GM to get its Malibu on the list. Read on after the list to see how each manufacturer did.

Winners:

Large cars
Buick LaCrosse
Ford Taurus
Lincoln MKS
Volvo S80

Midsize cars
Audi A3
Chevrolet Malibu built after October 2009
Chrysler Sebring 4-door with optional electronic stability control
Dodge Avenger with optional electronic stability control
Mercedes C class
Subaru Legacy
Subaru Outback
Volkswagen Jetta sedan
Volkswagen Passat sedan
Volvo C30

Small cars
Honda Civic 4-door models (except Si) with optional electronic stability control
Kia Soul
Nissan Cube
Subaru Impreza except WRX
Volkswagen Golf 4-door

Midsize SUVs
Dodge Journey
Subaru Tribeca
Volvo XC60
Volvo XC90

Small SUVs
Honda Element
Jeep Patriot with optional side torso airbags
Subaru Forester
Volkswagen Tiguan

Now, here’s a breakdown of the manufacturers who won, and how many winners they have on the list:

By John Suit

Source: IIHS