“A higher-riding vehicle may benefit from the barrier striking lower on its side,” Raul Arbelaez, Vice President, Institute’s Vehicle Research Centre, said. The SID-IIs represent a small woman or 12-year-old child. Like the original side test, the new test uses two SID-IIs dummies in the driver seat and in the rear seat behind the driver. The honeycomb striking surface of the new barrier also has a different design that acts more like today’s SUVs or pickups when striking the side of another vehicle. Together, those changes mean the crash produces 82% more energy. Instead of striking the test vehicle at 31 mph, it hits it at 37 mph.

Instead of the earlier 3,300 pounds, the new one weighs around 4,200 pounds, which approximates the weight of most modern midsize SUVs. Like the original side test, the new test represents the type of crash that occurs when two crossing vehicles collide in an intersection.Īccording to IIHS, the updated evaluation uses a heavier barrier traveling at a higher speed to simulate the striking vehicle. IIHS introduced the new, tougher side test to address higher-speed crashes that continue to cause fatalities. “These results will help confirm the adjustments they need to make to other vehicles going forward.” “It’s encouraging to see so many midsize SUVs from different automakers earn good ratings in this more challenging evaluation,” Becky Mueller, Senior Research Engineer, IIHS, said.

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