Car Crash Tests Revealed 3 New Minivans NOT to Drive

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has made it their goal to help create safer roadways. As part of their research, they test the crashworthiness of vehicles and report their findings to consumers. Recently, they subjected four new minivans to small overlap front car crashes and the results are very concerning. The Tests In the small overlap tests, vehicles received impact in just one corner of the vehicle, as if it were a head-on collision. The minivans, with their crash-test dummy counterparts, were monitored and recorded as they drove into a pillar, which extended roughly to the edge of the driver-side headlight. This is designed to mimic what would occur if a driver were to hit a pole or a tree. Minivans are especially dangerous in these situations, because they are routinely built on car platforms, but are larger and heavier. In other words, people riding in a minivan do not have the same protective cage that those in a car would, due to the overhang caused by the vehicle's size. Town & Country and Grand Caravan The Chrysler Town & Country and the Dodge Grand Caravan were referred to as twins in the recent round of testing, and they both rated poor. In the case of the Town & Country, the vehicle literally caved in around the dummy. The area which should have provided a protective cocoon around the driver had a 15-inch intrusion instead. Had a real person been behind the wheel, he would have been seriously injured. Skin, which is much thicker on dummies than on people, was torn on the dummy's left knee and leg. The force was so strong, that researchers suspect a live person would have received injuries to his left leg, knee, and hip. Moreover, the steering column was jammed to the right in the collision, which resulted in the dummy's head barely grazing the airbag before connecting with the dashboard. This was nothing compared to what happened to the Nissan Quest. Quest The Nissan Quest was described as one of the worst-performing vehicles they had ever tested. The exterior of the Quest buckled as much as two-feet inward, completely trapping the dummy. Researchers had to cut the entire seat out to remove the dummy, then use a crowbar to pry the its foot free. In some areas, the amount of force exerted on the dummy was so strong, that it exceeded the measurable limits of their sensors. Had this collision involved a real person, he likely would never walked normally again and probably would have broken his femur. The IIHS reports that in last year's testing, the Honda Odyssey scored "Good" overall. The Toyota Sienna recently scored "Acceptable," making it a fairly safe choice, too. Minivans are often chosen because they appear to be safe family vehicles. However, this isn't always the case. Before you purchase a vehicle, arm yourself with information on how it will stand up in a Charleston car crash first.

Charleston Car Crash Attorney

If you or a loved one has been injured on our local roadways, you may be entitled to reparations to assist with medical care and other bills. Our legal team is skilled at litigation and will work to ensure you receive justice. For a free consultation, please fill out our online form or speak with one of our lawyers directly at 1(800)610-2546.