Insurance Institute Reports on Car Safety
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that Chrysler LLC and Kia Motors Corp. models are among sedans that are keeping U.S. occupants safer after being equipped with air bags that protect against side- impact crashes.
Chrysler's Dodge Avenger side-impact safety improved to "good,'' the highest rating, from "poor,'' the lowest, in 2004, when a previous version was tested, the insurance group found in crash tests of seven 2007-2008 sedans. The Kia Optima improved to "acceptable'' from "poor'' in a similar comparison.
"The side-impact results represent a huge change from just four years ago,'' David Zuby, senior vice president of the Arlington, Virginia-based institute, said in a statement. "In 2004 we tested 10 mid-size moderately priced cars and all 10 were rated poor in their standard configurations without side air bags.''
Automakers are making more air bags standard and adding other equipment such as electronic stability control as government regulators attempt to save lives by mandating such features on new cars and light trucks.
U.S. automakers agreed in 2003 to have side air bags standard in all cars by 2010. Stability control will be required the following year.
Nissan Motor Co.'s Nissan Altima and Infiniti G35, General Motors Corp.'s Chevrolet Malibu and Saturn Aura, and Mitsubishi Motors Corp.'s Galant sedan also score good for side protection, the institute found. Chrysler's Sebring, which shares engineering with the Avenger, received the same rating.
Side-Impact Factor
Twenty-eight percent of road fatalities involve side-impact crashes, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in September. NHTSA counted 42,642 road deaths, including pedestrians and other non-passenger victims, in 2006, the last year for which data is available.
The vehicles tested were struck in the side by a barrier, representing the front of a sport-utility vehicle or pickup truck, moving at 31 miles per hour, the insurance group said.
The seven sedans also tested good for front crash tests, the group said. For rear crash tests, only the Optima was rated good. The Avenger and Sebring rated acceptable; the Malibu, Aura, G35 and Altima rated marginal and the Galant poor, the insurance institute said.
Published on April 10, 2008
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