The latest round of front overlap testing by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has raised the bar for automakers, making crash tests even more challenging. While most midsize sedans struggled in these updated tests, the Honda Accord stood out by excelling.
A common issue among the cars that failed was their performance in the new rear passenger tests, which the Honda Accord managed to navigate successfully. Despite the Subaru Outback’s good performance in rear passenger testing, its Poor rating in rear passenger restraints resulted in an overall Acceptable rating.
Among other midsize sedans, the Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry demonstrated a mix of ratings for rear passenger metrics but fell short in restraints. On the other hand, the Kia K5, Hyundai Sonata, and Volkswagen Jetta were rated poorly for rear passenger safety, with various shortcomings in head, neck, chest, and restraints.
IIHS President David Harkey highlighted the issue of rear passenger submarining in most midsize cars, where passengers slide under the lap belt, increasing the risk of injuries. The rear dummy tests are designed to simulate a 12-year-old child to ensure testing accuracy.
Interestingly, IIHS found that the risk of fatal injuries is higher in the rear of new cars compared to the front. This challenges the conventional belief and is attributed to the faster advancements in front-passenger safety features. Despite the poor performance of many midsize sedans in the tests, the Honda Accord emerges as a standout in rear seat safety.
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