IIHS and HLDI News

Status Report, Vol. 43, No. 8
Special issue: booster seats

Many booster seats aren't up to the job of improving safety belt fit for children
ARLINGTON, VA — Booster seats are meant to do one thing — elevate children so that safety belts designed for adults are in the right position to restrain kids during a crash. Thirteen of the 41 belt-positioning booster seats the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety evaluated with the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute did such a poor job of improving the fit of lap and shoulder belts for children that the Institute doesn't recommend them at all. Ten models are best bets and 5 are good bets. These evaluations are the first to tell consumers how well boosters sold by US retailers improve belt fit for children in cars, minivans, and SUVs. The Institute plans to continue these assessments.

California becomes the 7th state to ban text messaging by all drivers
Effective January 1, 2009, California will join 6 other US states (Alaska, Connecticut, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Washington) in banning text messaging by all drivers. For details on texting bans in all states, go to http://www.iihs.org/laws/cellphonelaws.aspx

11 vehicles earn Top Safety Pick award
ARLINGTON, VA — Four small cars, two midsize cars, two midsize SUVs, one large luxury car, one small pickup, and a midsize convertible are the latest winners of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Top Safety Pick award. Winners afford superior overall crash protection among the vehicles in their classes. To qualify, a vehicle must earn the highest rating of good in the Institute's front, side, and rear tests. It also must be equipped with electronic stability control.

Put off driver licensure to save lives
ARLINGTON, VA — Most US states allow driving at age 16, 16½, or somewhere in between. A new Insurance Institute for Highway Safety report focuses on the costs in terms of lives of allowing licensure sooner rather than later. The message is that licensing at later ages would substantially reduce crashes involving teen drivers. The same conclusion has been reached in other countries. Teens in Great Britain and most Australian states can't get their licenses until they turn 17, for example. In most EU countries it's 18. The Institute's new report is being released at the annual meeting of the Governors Highway Safety Association.

Status Report, Vol. 43, No. 7
Licensing teenagers later reduces their crashes Comparison of licensing ages Hybrid cars and SUVs have higher costs under insurance collision coverage than their counterparts powered by gasoline only Pregnant women should buckle up to help protect their fetuses Distracted driving is widespread among owners of cellphones, insurer's survey finds

Most small cars aren't economical for crash repairs: Ford Focus performs the best; Rabbit & Prius are the worst in bumper tests
ARLINGTON, VA — Low-speed collisions happen every day in commuter traffic and parking lots. These "fender benders" end up costing car owners a lot of money and aggravation because the bumpers on many cars aren't designed to handle what should be a no-damage event.

Alaska becomes 6th state to ban text messaging by all drivers
Effective September 1, Alaska joined 5 other US states (Connecticut, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Washington) in banning text messaging by all drivers. For details on texting bans in all states, go to http://www.iihs.org/laws/cellphonelaws.aspx

IIHS asks NHTSA to retain windshield intrusion standard
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) submitted a comment to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) objecting to its proposal to rescind the federal standard on windshield zone intrusion because of its success and redundancy with other standards. The comment refutes the agency's conclusions and emphasizes the necessity of retaining the standard to ensure occupant protection in future vehicles sold in the United States.

North Carolina strengthens law against riding in the cargo area of pickup trucks
North Carolina recently amended its laws prohibiting children from riding in the cargo area of pickup trucks. The law previously provided that children under the age of 12 were not to be transported in the cargo area. The amendment law now covers children under the age of 16. The law contains several exceptions, including permitting children of all ages to ride in the cargo area if supervised by an adult. For more information on state laws prohibiting children from riding in the cargo area of pickup trucks, go to http://www.iihs.org/laws/cargoAreas.aspx

2009 GMC Acadia earns Top Safety Pick award
The GMC Acadia, a large SUV, also is sold as the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and Saturn Outlook. To qualify for Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must earn the highest rating of good in the Institute's front, side, and rear tests and be equipped with electronic stability control. Criteria to win are tough because the award is intended to drive continued safety improvements such as top crash test ratings and the rapid addition of electronic stability control, which is standard on the Acadia. "Recognizing vehicles at the head of the class for safety helps consumers distinguish the best overall choices without having to sort through multiple test results," says Institute president Adrian Lund. The Top Safety Pick designation applies to 2008-09 Acadia, Enclave, and Outlook models built after March, 2008, and the new for 2009 Traverse. New Institute ratings for the GMC Acadia | Buick Enclave | Chevrolet Traverse | Saturn Outlook

Low-speed vehicles legal in most states on roads with low speed limits
Federal standards covering low-speed vehicles apply to those used for "short trips for shopping, social, and recreational purposes primarily within retirement or other planned communities with golf courses." To qualify, a vehicle must have 4 wheels and a top speed of at least 20 mph but not more than 25. States, not NHTSA, are responsible for regulating the operation of motor vehicles on public roads and for handling low-speed vehicle titling and registration. For information on the roads in each state where low-speed vehicles are legal, go to http://www.iihs.org/laws/LowSpeedVehicles.aspx

New crash test results: 4 small SUVs earn Top Safety Pick; good ratings for hybrids, but the Jeep Wrangler is poor in side test
ARLINGTON, VA — Automakers are improving the crashworthiness of their vehicles and quickly installing side airbags and electronic stability control, an important crash avoidance feature, on more models. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently completed front, side, and rear crash test evaluations of 8 small SUV models. For the first time, every model the Institute tested comes equipped with electronic stability control as standard equipment.

HLDI submits VIN comment to Transport Canada
The Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) submitted a comment to Transport Canada concerning amendments to its vehicle identification number (VIN) requirements. The comment addresses concerns raised in HLDI's petition (June 12, 2008) to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to ensure unique VINs for motorcycles and for pickup trucks with gross vehicle weight ratings of 10,000 pounds or less. Lack of unique VINs will make it difficult to determine the on-road experience and safety of particular motorcycles and whether the VINs for some pickups comply with the old or new requirements.

Mazda 6 is GOOD for frontal crash protection
Latest Institute ratings for the Mazda 6 Verification ratings are based on 40 mph frontal offset crash tests conducted by manufacturers for vehicles meeting requirements established by the Institute.

Nissan Maxima is GOOD for frontal crash protection
Latest Institute ratings for the Nissan Maxima Verification ratings are based on 40 mph frontal offset crash tests conducted by manufacturers for vehicles meeting requirements established by the Institute.

States begin to allow the use of the mini-trucks on public roads
Mini-trucks are small-engine, gasoline-powered, four-wheel motorized vehicles that have the following characteristics: a fully enclosed passenger compartment, one row of bench seating for the driver and a passenger, a steering wheel, and a flat-bed or lift as the rear part of the vehicle. These vehicles go by many names, including but not limited to mini-truck, Japanese mini-truck, Kei truck, and micro-truck. Mini-trucks are commonly manufactured outside of the United States and then imported as off-road vehicles to be used as farm equipment or on construction sites. Some distributors place governors on mini-trucks, limiting their speed to 25 mph, but these devices can be removed easily, allowing for much higher speeds. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not applied its motor vehicle safety standards for passenger vehicles to mini-trucks because they have been sold as off-road vehicles. However, during the past 2 years states have begun enacting legislation to permit the use of mini-trucks on public roads. Ten states (Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and Wyoming) now permit the use of mini-trucks on specific portions of their public roads. Missouri?s law specifies that mini-trucks are allowed only by local ordinance. Four states (Illinois, Kansas, South Dakota, and Tennessee) have required that these vehicles comply with NHTSA?s safety standards for low-speed vehicles.

Audi Q7 earns Top Safety Pick award
ARLINGTON, VA — The 2008 Audi Q7, a large luxury SUV, earns the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Top Safety Pick award. Winners afford superior overall crash protection among the vehicles in their class. The Q7's award applies to models built after December 2007.

Acura RL wins Top Safety Pick award; seat/head restraint combination improves to good
ARLINGTON, VA — The 2009 Acura RL, a large luxury car, earns the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Top Safety Pick award. Winners afford superior overall crash protection among the vehicles in their classes. To qualify, a vehicle must earn the highest rating of good in the Institute's front, side, and rear tests and be equipped with electronic stability control.

First time Institute side tests small pickups: Toyota rates good, but results for others are 'dismal' and key safety feature isn't standard on most models
ARLINGTON, VA — Small pickups aren't providing as much protection in side crashes as many new cars and SUVs. The Toyota Tacoma was the only one of five small pickup trucks, all 2008 models, to earn the highest rating of good for occupant protection in recent side crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The Dodge Dakota, Ford Ranger, and Nissan Frontier are rated marginal, and the Chevrolet Colorado is rated poor in the side test, which simulates a side impact from an SUV or another pickup.