How are ratings made by the IIHS and the NHTSA explained?
Some automakers are more willing than others to reveal what’s included in their crash tests, even though all automakers conduct in-house crash tests before new models go to NHTSA.
Ford spokesperson Maria Sheler-Edwards, of Ford’s internal crash test procedures, claims “It’s a big secret”. According to Sheler-Edwards, Ford’s internal crash tests are “more stringent than IIHS or government tests.”
Since 1972, Volvo, the Swedish manufacturer now owned by Ford, claimed that it has studied more than 22,000 real-world accidents involving Volvos. Each of these accidents was carefully studied and observed. Through these accidental evaluations, automobile manufacturers try to develop newer, safer cars.
Johnston claims, “We put a car together and crash it, and then see how it performs in the real world. You just can’t perform the same tests in a crash test lab as you can in the real world.”
Donaldson of NHTSA’s crash tests claims, “They’re too slow, and they represent a vehicle striking a moving vehicle that approximates a mid-sized American sedan like a Ford Taurus. That’s not an appropriate tests, especially for smaller vehicles that can be struck by SUVs or pickup trucks. We would like to see a test that more nearly approximates what happens when you’re in the small car, and you’re hit by a big, fat Ford Excursion or Chevy Suburban.”
A devised rollover test has been mandated by Congress to the NHTSA. This test should involve actual crashes, instead of simply mathematical equations. However, according to NHTSA spokesperson, Tim Hurd, the NHTSA doesn’t have the type of budget to try actual crashes instead of mathematical equations, which obviously wouldn’t cost as much.
Hurd claims, “We have a limited amount of money to spend on informational crash testing. We started with the frontal crash and then introduced side-impact tests. We don’t have the resources to do rear crash tests.”
Even though a rear crash test is a part of NHTSA’s compliance procedure, it measurers fuel performance and will not include injury measurements for the vehicle’s occupants.
Dave Hurst of State Farm Insurance Co, the nation’s largest auto insurer, which supports IIHS, claims, “We don’t make any direct use of crash test data. The crash tests do not affect rates. Our rates are based on our own claim experience, and they are affected by many different factors. Crash tests are not one.”
Hurst claims, “To the extend that we can contribute to making cars safer or cars more resistant to crashes or theft, we work with IIHS. We hope that these efforts may have an impact on highway safety.”