Subaru Vehicles Receive Highest Marks from NHTSA

Anthony Fontanelle
February 19, 2007

The US government is serious in its efforts to improve traffic safety. This is evident in the recent crash tests performed by the US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The agency performed crash tests on new cars scheduled to be released for the 2007 model year. This is in connection with their New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). The agency conducted front and side collision tests on new vehicles and has so far given as much as five star ratings to only 24 passenger vehicles.

Among those who have received the highest marks from the agency are two models from Subaru. These are the Legacy and the Outback. Both have come to show that Subaru cars are indeed one of the safest cars in the market today. Thomas J. Doll, the Executive Vice President of Subaru of America, Inc. has this to say about the result of the tests: “Subaru customers have come to expect the highest level of safety in their vehicles”. In fact, he also does add, “Both the Legacy and the Outback continuer to deliver the highest levels of active and passive safety as evidenced by their recent five star performances in the NHTSA NCAP tests.”

Subaru has been making safety one of their priorities in the development and production of new vehicles. Their concept about safety is that it does not only mean protecting the car’s occupants in the event of crashes. They also believe that a vehicle should give the drivers safety features that would help them avoid accidents. Subaru dubbed this concept as their Active Driving/Active Safety. Designs of the automobile they produce allow drivers to have a strong sense of control of the vehicle.

Their Active Safety system is anchored on their All-Wheel Drive configuration. This technology gives their vehicles superior road tractions over two-wheel drive cars. As a testament of their dedication to safety, all 2007 Subaru vehicles are equipped with a 4-channel/ 4-sensor Anti-Lock Brake System with an integrated Electronic Brake-Force Distribution. These two systems allows drivers to brake safely without fear of having their brakes locking up which would cause them to loose control of the vehicle. The performance of these systems can be enhanced further with aftermarket parts like those found in Active Brakes Direct.

For their passive safety features, the car maker has exerted effort in the production of a car that is designed to protect a car’s occupants in cases of crashes. One concern in the design of the vehicle is the issue of where the powertrain goes in the event of frontal collision. Subaru has designed their vehicles so that the entire powertrain assembly will slide safely under the car to prevent it from intruding the cabin in the event of collision. Crumple zones are also integrated into their vehicles. These are integrated in the design of the front and rear of the car. These portions of the car crumple in the event of collision to absorb much of the impact. This means that the force due to the impact will be significantly reduced upon reaching the cabin where the occupants sit.

Aside from the design of the vehicle frame and body, and the for-wheel drive configuration, all Subaru vehicles are equipped with advanced restraint systems. Integrated into Subaru vehicles are electrically triggered pre-tensioners and front three-point seat belt. These seat belts complement the dual-stage airbags employed by Subaru vehicles. The deployment of these airbags is facilitated by the Subaru Advanced Frontal Airbag System. The system detects the position of a seat’s occupant too safely deploy the airbags. The system can also tell if the occupant of a seat is a grownup or a child.

Source: Amazines.com