xcel
07-25-2008, 06:19 PM
Tacoma rates good but the rest are abysmal due to lack of safety equipment. (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?p=127907)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2008_Toyota_Tacoma.jpgWayne Gerdes - CleanMPG (www.clenampg.com) - July 24, 2008
Toyota Tacoma -- An EPA of 20/26 city/highway and for 2009, side and side curtains come standard making it the safest small P/U you can buy.
ARLINGTON, VA – Most smaller pickups are not providing nearly the same protection in side crashes as most new cars and SUVs. The Toyota Tacoma was the only P/U of five small P/U trucks to earn the highest rating of Good for occupant protection in side crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The Dodge Dakota, Ford Ranger, and Nissan Frontier were rated marginal, and the Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon was rated poor in the side test, which simulates a side impact from an SUV or another pickup.
"More people may be looking at small pickups because of rising gas prices," says Institute president Adrian Lund. "Unfortunately, they won't find many that afford state-of-the-art crash protection. Most earn dismal ratings for protecting people in side crashes, and all but the Tacoma and Frontier lack electronic stability control, which is a key feature in preventing crashes. Until they improve, most small pickups aren't good choices for people looking for safe transportation."
Side Impact crash performance is important because side impacts are the second most common type of fatal crash. The Tacoma's side and side curtain airbags did a good job of reducing forces on the driver dummy and the passenger dummy in the back seat in the Institute's test. The curtain-style airbag that deployed from the roof above the side windows protected the dummies' heads from being struck by any hard structures. The Tacoma's structure held up reasonably well, preventing major intrusion into the occupant compartment.
The Tacoma also is rated good for frontal crash protection, but its seat/head restraints earn the second lowest rating of marginal for protection against whiplash in rear-end crashes. If Toyota improves the Tacoma's rear crash rating, this manufacturer would have the only two pickup models to earn the Institute's Top Safety Pick award so far. The other is Toyota's Tundra, a large pickup truck.
The Tacoma is the only pickup in the group of small models that was tested with side airbags, which are optional in 2008 models. The Tacoma was tested only with its optional side airbags, an exception to normal policy because such airbags will be standard in 2009 Tacoma pickups being shipped to dealers this month.
P/U trucks high death rates
Small P/U’s have the highest driver death rates of any vehicles on the road. In 2006 small pickups experienced 116 driver deaths per million registered vehicles 1-3 years old. This compares with 106 for mini-cars, 99 for small cars, and 42 for small SUVs. Part of the reason is that small pickup trucks are more likely than other passenger vehicles to be involved in single-vehicle crashes, especially rollovers.
IIHS crash test evaluation methods
The Institute's frontal crashworthiness evaluations are based on results of 40 mph frontal offset crash tests. Each vehicle's overall evaluation is based on measurements of intrusion into the occupant compartment, injury measures recorded on a Hybrid III dummy in the driver seat, and analysis of slow-motion film to assess how well the restraint system controlled dummy movement during the test.
Side evaluations are based on performance in a crash test in which the side of a vehicle is struck by a barrier moving at 31 mph. The barrier represents the front end of a pickup or SUV. Ratings reflect injury measures recorded on two instrumented SID-IIs dummies, assessment of head protection countermeasures, and the vehicle's structural performance during the impact.
Rear crash protection is rated according to a two-step procedure. Starting points for the ratings are measurements of head restraint geometry — the height of a restraint and its horizontal distance behind the back of the head of an average-size man. Seat/head restraints with good or acceptable geometry are tested dynamically using a dummy that measures forces on the neck.
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2008_Toyota_Tacoma.jpgWayne Gerdes - CleanMPG (www.clenampg.com) - July 24, 2008
Toyota Tacoma -- An EPA of 20/26 city/highway and for 2009, side and side curtains come standard making it the safest small P/U you can buy.
ARLINGTON, VA – Most smaller pickups are not providing nearly the same protection in side crashes as most new cars and SUVs. The Toyota Tacoma was the only P/U of five small P/U trucks to earn the highest rating of Good for occupant protection in side crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The Dodge Dakota, Ford Ranger, and Nissan Frontier were rated marginal, and the Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon was rated poor in the side test, which simulates a side impact from an SUV or another pickup.
"More people may be looking at small pickups because of rising gas prices," says Institute president Adrian Lund. "Unfortunately, they won't find many that afford state-of-the-art crash protection. Most earn dismal ratings for protecting people in side crashes, and all but the Tacoma and Frontier lack electronic stability control, which is a key feature in preventing crashes. Until they improve, most small pickups aren't good choices for people looking for safe transportation."
Side Impact crash performance is important because side impacts are the second most common type of fatal crash. The Tacoma's side and side curtain airbags did a good job of reducing forces on the driver dummy and the passenger dummy in the back seat in the Institute's test. The curtain-style airbag that deployed from the roof above the side windows protected the dummies' heads from being struck by any hard structures. The Tacoma's structure held up reasonably well, preventing major intrusion into the occupant compartment.
The Tacoma also is rated good for frontal crash protection, but its seat/head restraints earn the second lowest rating of marginal for protection against whiplash in rear-end crashes. If Toyota improves the Tacoma's rear crash rating, this manufacturer would have the only two pickup models to earn the Institute's Top Safety Pick award so far. The other is Toyota's Tundra, a large pickup truck.
The Tacoma is the only pickup in the group of small models that was tested with side airbags, which are optional in 2008 models. The Tacoma was tested only with its optional side airbags, an exception to normal policy because such airbags will be standard in 2009 Tacoma pickups being shipped to dealers this month.
P/U trucks high death rates
Small P/U’s have the highest driver death rates of any vehicles on the road. In 2006 small pickups experienced 116 driver deaths per million registered vehicles 1-3 years old. This compares with 106 for mini-cars, 99 for small cars, and 42 for small SUVs. Part of the reason is that small pickup trucks are more likely than other passenger vehicles to be involved in single-vehicle crashes, especially rollovers.
IIHS crash test evaluation methods
The Institute's frontal crashworthiness evaluations are based on results of 40 mph frontal offset crash tests. Each vehicle's overall evaluation is based on measurements of intrusion into the occupant compartment, injury measures recorded on a Hybrid III dummy in the driver seat, and analysis of slow-motion film to assess how well the restraint system controlled dummy movement during the test.
Side evaluations are based on performance in a crash test in which the side of a vehicle is struck by a barrier moving at 31 mph. The barrier represents the front end of a pickup or SUV. Ratings reflect injury measures recorded on two instrumented SID-IIs dummies, assessment of head protection countermeasures, and the vehicle's structural performance during the impact.
Rear crash protection is rated according to a two-step procedure. Starting points for the ratings are measurements of head restraint geometry — the height of a restraint and its horizontal distance behind the back of the head of an average-size man. Seat/head restraints with good or acceptable geometry are tested dynamically using a dummy that measures forces on the neck.