“This is the first batch of small cars tested, and there’s really no reason why these cars can’t score better,” he says. “We often see low scores in the first round of testing, but the manufacturers are usually up to it.”
One of the ways both IIHS and Thomas say automakers could improve the safety of rear occupants is through better implementation of pretensioners, which tighten the belt at the start of a crash, and load limiters, which allow the belt to roll up a bit to reduce any jolting force it might. wound the occupant’s chest. These safety features are found in the front seats of most new vehicles, but are not always found in the back seats. And while these features are standard in the rear seats of the Civic, Corolla and Sentra, IIHS crash test results indicate that automakers may need to make some changes to improve their performance.
According to Thomas, the Sentra Poor’s score is proof that simply equipping cars with load limiters and pretensioners is not enough. “It seems that even though Nissan put these features into their cars, they could work on improving the implementation of the systems,” he says.
Kia, Nissan and Subaru did not respond to CR’s request for comment on the new ratings.
All rear occupants must ensure that they wear their seat belts on every journey. In a 2017 IIHS study, only 74 percent of passengers reported wearing seat belts in the back seat of vehicles, compared to 91 percent of front seat passengers, although occupants unbelted back seat occupants are eight times more likely to be injured and twice as likely. die as belted rear seat occupants in an accident. When rating a vehicle, CR also considers whether or not it is equipped with seat belts in the rear seats to help improve rear seat belt use.
“The back seat is still the safest place for your child, regardless of whether they’re in a harness, car seat or booster,” says Thomas.
