The Little Rock, Arkansas-area auto accident and truck accident attorneys at Levar Law Injury & Accident Lawyers know just how much Americans love their small and midsize SUVs.
But a new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety raises serious concerns about how these vehicles perform in an accident.
The study focuses on a particular front-end crash test, or the small overlap test, in which midsize SUVs have historically performed poorly. The goal of the test is to replicate what might happen should the vehicle be struck on one side or the other of the front end by another truck or automobile, or if the vehicle were to sustain another type of impact in that general area, as the result of hitting a tree or traffic pole, for instance.
Researchers say this type of impact is more dangerous to passengers than a direct front-end or rear-end hit because when a car or truck is struck from the side, that impact doesn’t involve the vehicle’s “crush zone” infrastructure.
“This test presented a major challenge for manufacturers when it was introduced three years ago, and many have adapted quickly,” IIHS Chief Research Officer David Zuby said in a press release about this new study. “Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep have had some successes with redesigned models, but they haven’t done much in the way of interim improvements. As a result, they still have many models that rate poor or marginal.”
Here are two other highlights from the research, which focused on newly-released midsize SUVs:
- The best-performing midsize SUV in this test was the 2015 Nissan Murano.
- Other models that received relatively high marks include the Toyota Highlander, the Chevrolet Equinox, the GMC Terrain, the Kia Sorento and the Nissan Pathfinder.
Regardless of the number or types of vehicles involved in your car or truck accident in Arkansas, the skilled accident and injury attorneys at Levar Law Injury & Accident Lawyers can help. You can reach our Little Rock-area lawyers online or by telephone to schedule your auto accident case consultation at (888) 220-7068.
