IIHS, a non-commercial organization specializing in crash tests, has released the results of a new bunch of trials now taking into account the safety of those in the back seats. Out of 13 vehicles tested, only 4 passed the test.
The old methodology involved putting test mannequins into the front seats alone, while the new one requires one dummy to be present in the seat directly behind the driver. The constitution of the dummy is that of a teenager.
Once all trials were complete, it turned out that only the Mustang Mach-E, Tesla Model Y, Ford Explorer and Subaru Ascent passed them. Furthermore, experts still found plenty to criticize in these models as well. For instance, the Ascent, the Explorer and the Model Y still made it possible for the rear seat occupant to emerge from the accident with a head injury.
The list of failures included such popular SUVs as Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, Mazda CX-9, Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Grand Cherokee. Whoever takes the back seats in one of these is exposed to the risk of serious head, neck and abdominal injuries in the event of a head-on collision.