The 2009 Honda Fit with electronic stability control was undergoing evaluation front, side and rear crash test by IIHS. This car became the first minicar listed on Top Safety Pick award.
In the end of 2008, the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) has awarded 72 cars that give proper or even the best protection to people in front, side, and rear crashes based on good ratings in Institute tests. One of an advanced feature – used to be for luxurious cars only – that becomes a standard requirement, is an ESC (electronic stability control). Base on IIHS research, the feature has significantly reduced crash risk.
As the well known safety car, Volvo and its “American bro”, Ford have 16 winners, while Honda and its division Acura have 13 winners including Honda Fit with optional ESC. The Honda Fit in fact, is the first minicar to earn Top Safety Pick.
It started out in TOP SAFETY PICK program in 2006 as the Institute sorting out the commercial vehicles that had a good score in front, side and rear crash protection ratings. Those vehicles had been awarded Gold winners. While the Silver had been awarded to vehicles had good score in front and side tests ratings, and acceptable score in rear crash ratings.
In 2007, the Institute enhances their standard acceptance by requiring “good score” in rear crash testing, and incorporates the ESC, either as a standard or optional. In their website (http://www.iihs.org/news/rss/pr112508.html), IIHS noted: “ ESC helps drivers maintain control of their vehicles in the worst situation — loss of control at high speed — by engaging automatically when it senses vehicle instability and helping to bring a vehicle back in the intended line of travel. ESC lowers the risk of a fatal single-vehicle crash by about half, and it lowers the risk of a fatal rollover crash by as much as 70 percent.”
Each year, the Institute offers to test Top Safety Pick candidates early in the model year. Top Safety Pick is presented by vehicle size because size and weight are closely related, and both influence how well occupants will be protected in serious crashes. Larger, heavier vehicles generally afford better protection in crashes than smaller, lighter ones.
Please don’t get it wrong. "Just because small cars are Top Safety Picks doesn't make them as crashworthy as larger vehicles," Lund says. "Rather, it's all the more important to choose a small car that rates highly for safety because you give up the protection of size and weight."
How they did the Crash Test
1.The frontal crash. This is the most common accident. On this test, the car runs in 40mph and experience the frontal crash. The crashworthiness is rated based on things below:
Intrusion into the occupant compartment, measured by the deep of the intrusion,
Potential injury in the driver seat, measured by record on a Hybrid III dummy.
Potential neck injury caused by poor head restraints, assessed through slow-motion recorded movie, to see how the restraint system are able to control dummy movement during the test.
2.The side impact evaluations. The evaluation is performed by crashing the car on its side. A barrier moving at 31mph – represents a front-side of a pickup or an SUV – smacks the side-body of the car. The crashworthiness is rated based:
Head protection countermeasures, assessed by record on the instrumented dummies,
The vehicle's structural performance during the impact.
3.Rear crash protection is performed in two steps:
1st Step. Rates on measurements of seat/head restraint geometry — the height of a restraint and its horizontal distance behind the back of the head of an average-size man.
2nd Step. The car that has good or acceptable score on the head restraint geometry evaluation, are then continued to the crash test. The car is in stationary and hit from the rear by a 20mph running car. Using the dummy, they evaluate how the seat protects the neck.
Listed below are the 72 winners in their categories:
Large cars
Acura RL
Audi A6
Cadillac CTS
Ford Taurus
Lincoln MKS
Mercury Sable
Toyota Avalon
Volvo S80
Midsize cars
Acura TL, TSX
Audi A3, A4
BMW 3 series 4-door models
Ford Fusion with optional electronic stability control
Honda Accord 4-door models
Mercedes C class
Mercury Milan with optional electronic stability control
Saab 9-3
Subaru Legacy
Volkswagen Jetta, Passat
Midsize convertibles
Saab 9-3
Volkswagen Eos
Volvo C70
Small cars
Honda Civic 4-door models (except Si) with optional electronic stability control
Mitsubishi Lancer with optional electronic stability control
Scion xB
Subaru Impreza with optional electronic stability control
Toyota Corolla with optional electronic stability control
Volkswagen Rabbit
Minicar
Honda Fit with optional electronic stability control
Minivans
Honda Odyssey
Hyundai Entourage
Kia Sedona
Large SUVs
Audi Q7
Buick Enclave
Chevrolet Traverse
GMC Acadia
Saturn Outlook
Midsize SUVs
Acura MDX, RDX
BMW X3, X5
Ford Edge, Flex, Taurus X
Honda Pilot
Hyundai Santa Fe, Veracruz
Infiniti EX35
Lincoln MKX
Mercedes M class
Nissan Murano
Saturn VUE
Subaru Tribeca
Toyota FJ Cruiser, Highlander
Volvo XC90
Small SUVs
Ford Escape
Honda CR-V, Element
Mazda Tribute
Mercury Mariner
Mitsubishi Outlander
Nissan Rogue
Subaru Forester
Toyota RAV4
Volkswagen Tiguan
Large pickups
Ford F-150
Honda Ridgeline
Toyota Tundra
Small pickup
Toyota Tacoma
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