IIHS Establishes New Side-Impact Test for Vehicles
New Year’s is the perfect time to throw out old processes that no longer work and try new ones. That’s why the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety plans on implementing a new side-impact testing method in 2020.
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Current method of side-impact testing
The IIHS recently highlighted the weaknesses of its current side-impact test. Per Autoblog, the organization first established the protocol back in 2003, nearly two decades ago. Right now, the side-impact test involves using a 3,000-pound barrier, the equivalent weight of the average SUV back in the early 2000s. During the test, the barrier moves toward the test vehicle at 31 mph.
According to the IIHS, this test no longer reflects the modern driving scenarios. The average SUV is typically heavier than the 3,000-pound barrier. And the older testing method doesn’t factor in the possibility that another vehicle might be traveling at a faster speed than 31 mph when headed for the side of a vehicle.
New method
The new IIHS side-impact test will increase the weight and traveling speed of the barrier used in evaluations. It will use a barrier weighing closer to 4,200 pounds and increase its traveling speed to 37 mph. Per Autoblog, engineers have confirmed that the increased weight adds 40 percent more energy to the crash, while the increased speed results in 42 percent more energy.
The IIHS will also consider an additional factor as it puts the final tweaks on the new side-impact test. When it performed side-impact tests with a real SUV instead of a barrier, the test vehicle rolled into the impacting vehicle, instead of away from it as it did when responding to a moving barrier.
Per Autoblog, IIHS is expected to debut the new test sometime in 2020. We commend the organization for revamping this testing procedure. It promises to raise safety test standards for the industry, so modern vehicles will deliver even more protection for passengers.
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News Source: Autoblog
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