Many parents drive minivans believing the vehicles they’re driving offer good protection in the event of a crash. After all, we trust our minivans to safely take our children where they need to go. Is this trust in minivan safety misplaced, though?
According to a recent small overlap crash tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the answer may be “yes”. The IIHS put the following four minivans to the test: the Nissan Quest, the Chrysler Town & Country, the Dodge Grand Caravan and the Toyota Sienna. Only one of the minivans, the Toyota Sienna, received an acceptable rating, although it displayed subpar structural performance.
The small overlap crash test simulates what happens when a vehicle’s front corner, or 25 percent of the vehicle’s front end on the driver’s side, crashes with another vehicle, or a stationary object such as a tree, at 40 mph. It turns out such crashes can be particularly challenging for minivans, which are built on wider platforms than cars.
The test results showed that the forces inflicted by the crash on the Nissan Quest, the Chrysler Town & Country and the Dodge Grand Caravan would result in severe injuries to the driver’s lower body. In tests involving all three vehicles, some of the forces measured were beyond the limits of the sensors.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a Los Angeles automobile accident, Bradley I. Kramer and his experienced legal team are here to help you obtain the compensation to which you are entitled. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation.