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IIHS Explains Side Impact Crash Test

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has released a new video from the “Inside IIHS” series in which it details the side impact crash.
IIHS side impact crash test 1 photo
Photo: screenshot from Youtube
Introduced by the agency in 2003, the side impact crash uses a 3,300 pounds moving barrier that hits the vehicle at 31 miles per hour. As usual, two dummies are placed in the car in order to determine the injuries that could occur in a side crash.

“We’ve come a long way since the Institute’s first release of side impact crash test results in 2003,” said Raul Arbelaez, Vice President of IIHS’ Vehicle Research Center. “Back then, most vehicles had safety cages that allowed too much intrusion into the compartment, and side airbags were not standard safety features. Today most safety cages are very strong, limit intrusion into the compartment, and the side airbags do a really nice job of protecting the vital organ areas. As a result we have a vehicle fleet that does a much better job of protecting occupants in side impact crashes.”

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About the author: Ciprian Florea
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Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
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