You’re probably familiar with how front, side and rear crash tests work, but what about the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s newest and toughest test — the frontal small-overlap evaluation? Small-overlap crashes account for nearly a quarter of frontal crashes that result in serious or fatal injury, the agency reports. The test is meant to mimic when a vehicle’s driver-side front end crashes into a 5-foot-tall rigid barrier at 40 mph … but what does that look like and how does it affect the occupants inside? Check out the video above for a breakdown of the crash and a look inside the different types of dummies that IIHS studies. (embed video above)
News Editor Jennifer Geiger joined the automotive industry in 2003, much to the delight of her Corvette-obsessed dad. Jennifer is an expert reviewer, certified car-seat technician and mom of three. She wears a lot of hats — many of them while driving a minivan.