Tesla, Ford Midsize SUVs Ace Crash Tests For Rear Passenger Protection

Midsize SUVs of Tesla Inc. TSLA, Ford Motor Co. F and Subaru Corp. FUJHY earned good ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, or IIHS, for rear passenger protection in their recent crash tests.

What Happened: Of the 13 midsize SUVs tested, Ford Explorer, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Subaru Ascent and Tesla Model Y received good ratings for rear seat passenger safety.

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According to a statement from the IIHS, the vehicles that earned good ratings provide reliable protection for passengers seated in the rear. Specifically, the seat belt was properly positioned on the pelvis, the side curtain airbag functioned correctly and there was no excessive force on the chest, said the statement.

However, while most midsize SUVs provide excellent protection to the driver, recent crash test ratings have revealed that they offer inadequate front crash protection for passengers in the rear seat.

While Chevrolet Traverse, Toyota Highlander and Volkswagen Atlas, earned marginal ratings, Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler 4-door, Mazda CX-9 and Nissan Murano, were rated poor.

Why It’s Important: Since 2007, the risk of fatal injury for passengers in the rear of the vehicle was 46% higher than those in the front as restraint technologies were improved solely for the front seats, the statement said.

“Zeroing in on weaknesses in rear seat safety is an opportunity to make big gains in a short time, since solutions that are already proven to work in the front can successfully be adapted for the rear. The four good ratings in this round of testing show that some automakers are already doing it,” said IIHS Senior Research Engineer Marcy Edwards.

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