In an effort to keep people on the roads throughout the nation as safe as possible the vehicles being manufactured are constantly being designed with safety improvements. To determine just how effective those safety measures are, crash tests are conducted on the vehicles. Recently the results of crash tests conducted upon midsize SUVs were made public. More than half of the seven vehicles that were tested received the rating of either marginal or poor.
The test that the vehicles underwent is a small overlap crash test. It is designed to imitate what a vehicle that crashes into a pole, tree or another vehicle at 40 MPH will experience. Because a fourth of the deaths and injuries that occur in a front collision accident are the result of this type of crash, the test is important.
Two vehicles—Nissan Murano and the four-door Jeep Wrangler—received a “good” rating. Receiving an “acceptable” performance was the Ford Flex. On the other end of the spectrum, Hyundai Santa Fe, Dodge Durango and Jeep Cherokee received a “marginal” rating and the Dodge Journey received the lowest possible rating—“poor.”
The tests were conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The Chief Research Officer for the Institute indicated that he was disappointed with the results.
Regardless of the type of crash someone is involved in, when someone is hurt as a result of the crash, a personal injury lawsuit could be a good option. Such a case could be viable if the accident was the result of the negligent actions of another person.
