Backseat Dangers: Small Cars Fumble in Updated IIHS Crash Test
In a recent change to its longest-running moderate overlap front crash evaluation, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety added updates to the test for the sake of backseat occupants. After first testing a group of small SUVs, the agency has turned its attention to small cars, putting the Honda Civic sedan, Kia Forte, Nissan Sentra, Subaru Crosstrek and Toyota Corolla sedan through the wringer. (While the Crosstrek is often classified as an SUV, IIHS labels it a small car/wagon.) The results aren’t encouraging.
The original moderate overlap front crash evaluation was designed to measure how well the driver is protected in a frontal crash. However, recent studies have shown that second-row occupants are more vulnerable as automakers focused on improving front-seat restraint systems. The updated IIHS test adds a dummy to a vehicle’s rear seat to evaluate the injury risk to second-row passengers.
For a vehicle to earn a good rating in the updated test, the second-row dummy must not display an excessive risk of head, neck, chest, abdomen or thigh injuries; it should also not slide forward under the lap belt, which poses a high risk for internal injuries, and the head should maintain a safe distance from the front seatback and the rest of the interior. Out of the five vehicles tested, none were able to ace the criteria required to earn a good rating, and three earned a poor score.
Among all five cars, the rear dummy slid forward beneath the lap belt. While the Civic and Corolla earned good ratings across all other driver and rear-passenger injury criteria, their rear-passenger restraint systems knocked their overall grades from good to acceptable. Meanwhile, the Forte, Sentra and Crosstrek earned a poor rating overall after displaying marginal or poor protection from injury risk to the rear passenger’s head, neck and chest.
Acceptable
- 2022-23 Honda Civic sedan
- 2023 Toyota Corolla sedan
Poor
- 2022-23 Kia Forte
- 2022-23 Nissan Sentra
- 2022-23 Subaru Crosstrek
All of the small cars included in the updated test earned a good rating in IIHS’ original moderate overlap front evaluation, and 2023 model years of the Civic and Corolla were named IIHS Top Safety Picks for 2023.
To encourage automakers to put as much effort into protecting rear occupants as those in the front row, IIHS is changing its award criteria for 2024 to include the updated moderate overlap front test. A good or acceptable rating in the updated test will be required for the highest-tier Top Safety Pick+ award; however, a good rating in the original test will continue to qualify vehicles for the Top Safety Pick rating.
More From Cars.com:
- Revised Crash Test Highlights SUVs’ Lagging Rear Passenger Protection
- IIHS: 2023 Toyota Sienna Only Good Minivan for Seat Belt Reminder Systems
- Survey Says Crash-Avoidance Tech Can Cause Issues After Repairs
- Small Cars Yield Surprising Results in Updated Crash Tests
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