IIHS Conducts Bumper Tests

Anthony Fontanelle
December 26, 2007

Automobile owners know that road accidents do not only involve high speed crashes which can put their life at risk. There are also accidents where the only damage done is to the vehicle involved. That is why as much as possible, auto buyers are looking for vehicles which can withstand low speed collisions without giving owners headaches regarding the bill for repairs.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently conducted tests which determined how well vehicles' bumpers can withstand low speed crashes. The IIHS recently tested six minivans for the strength of their bumpers. According to the result of the crash tests, none of the six minivans tested can resist vehicle damage in low speed collision. The Auto Channel reported that these minivans allowed about $5,000 or more worth of damage. Of the six minivans, the Nissan Quest was by far the least performer accruing $8,000 worth of damages.

Joe Nolan, the senior vice president of the IIHS, had this to say about the result of their crash tests: "These minivans don't have the worst bumpers we've tested, but they still allow way too much damage in minor impacts. It's damage that consumers shouldn't have to pay for or put up with the aggravation of having to get their vehicles repaired."

The tests conducted by the IIHS involved the minivans running into a barrier created to emulate the design of a car's bumper as well as its plastic absorber and flexible cover. The minivans undergo a series of four tests which includes front and rear full-width collision at speeds of 6 miles per hour; front and rear corner impact at 3 mph. According to the report, the barrier is placed 18 inches from the ground on full width crash tests and 16 inches off the ground during corner crash tests.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the six minivans that they have recently put to the test outperformed midsized cars which they have tested earlier this year. The reason for this is that minivans have bumpers placed higher off the ground than midsized cars. That means that during low speed collision, the bumper of the minivans did not go under the barrier which would have increased the damage inflicted substantially.

Furthermore, almost all minivans have foldable third row of seats. With that design, automakers developed minivans to have wider rear bumpers. That width comes into play in protecting the corners of the bumper. In fact, in the tests conducted for the rear bumpers, the taillights of the minivans were not harmed at all. Of the six minivans, the Honda Odyssey performed best which means that its bumpers are designed to be as tough as Mercedes-Benz spare parts.

Source:  Amazines.com