Minivans Flop On New Rear Seat Safety Crash Test
Minivans may be the ultimate family cars, but they aren’t the safest for second row passengers.
The IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) put the four minivan models currently on the market through its updated moderate overlap front crash test and the results are concerning.
The test simulates a 40 mph impact that overlaps 40% of the front of the vehicle and includes a small dummy in the rear seat that’s meant to simulate a small woman or child.
The Chrysler Pacifica, Kia Carnival, Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey all did a good job protecting front seat passengers, but their rear seat safety needs a lot of work.
The Chrysler, Kia and Toyota all received Marginal overall scores on the test due to the likelihood and severity of head, neck and chest injury for the rear seat passengers, while the Odyssey earned the lowest Poor score.
“The restraint systems in all four vehicles leave the second-row occupant vulnerable to chest injuries, either because of excessive belt forces or poor belt positioning,†said Jessica Jermakian, IIHS vice president of vehicle research. “That’s concerning because those injuries can be life-threatening.â€
The IIHS also called out all but the Toyota for not having rear seat reminders, which alert drivers that there may be a child still in the car when they turn it off to exit.
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“Back seat safety is important for all vehicles, but it’s especially vital for those, like minivans, that customers are choosing specifically to transport their families,†said IIHS President David Harkey. “It’s disappointing that automakers haven’t acted faster to apply the best available technology to the second row in this vehicle class.â€
The new test will start counting toward the IIHS Top Safety Pick ratings next year. For now, the Chrysler, Honda and Toyota are rated Top Safety Pick+ and the Kia a Top Safety Pick, based on the full roster of IIHS tests.
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