Small pickups offer weak protection in side crash tests: insurance group
Last Updated: Thursday, July 24, 2008 | 8:49 AM ET
The Associated Press
The latest crash tests by the insurance industry raise safety questions about small pickups, which are drawing more interest because they use less fuel than larger trucks.
The U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported Thursday that several small pickups from the 2008 model year offered dismal protection in side crashes. Versions of the Chevrolet Colorado and its twin vehicle, the GMC Canyon, without optional side airbags earned the institute's lowest rating of poor in the side test.
Several pickups were judged marginal, the second-lowest in the four-scale ratings, in the side tests: the Dodge Dakota and Mitsubishi Raider without optional side airbags; the Ford Ranger; Mazda B-Series; and the Nissan Frontier without side airbags. The Ranger and B-Series, which share the same underpinnings, do not offer side airbags.
"More people may be looking at small pickups because of rising gas prices," said Adrian Lund, the institute's president. "Unfortunately, they won't find many that afford state-of-the-art crash protection."
Toyota Tacoma top earned top score in side crashes
The 2008 Toyota Tacoma was the only small pickup tested to merit the top score in side crashes. The Tacoma was tested with optional side airbags because the equipment will be standard on 2009 Tacoma pickups being shipped to dealers this month, the institute said.
Nearly 9,000 U.S. motorists died in side crashes in 2006, the second-most common after front-end accidents. Side airbags have been credited with providing additional protection. Automakers have said they will make the side airbags standard across their fleets by the 2010 model year.
In front-end crashes, the Tacoma, Dakota, Raider and Frontier received the top score, or good; the Ranger, B-Series, Colorado and Canyon earned the second-highest score, acceptable.
The institute noted that only a few of the vehicles offer electronic stability control. Stability control is optional on the Tacoma and Frontier and unavailable on the other vehicles tested. It will be standard equipment on the Tacoma, Colorado and Canyon in 2009.
GM spokeswoman Carolyn Markey said the automaker conducts more than 150 different types of crash tests on its vehicles and said the institute's test is "designed to simulate a very severe crash." She said the Colorado and Canyon have performed well in other consumer tests.
Chrysler LLC spokesman Max Gates said the Dakota had received the highest rating in every category of the government's front-end and side tests. A vehicle's overall safety performance could not be determined by a single test, he said.
Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood said the Ranger was "very competitive" among small pickups and had performed well in government crash tests.
Nissan spokeswoman Jeannine Ginivan said the company designs "all of our products to provide a high level of occupant safety in a wide range of real-world crashes, including side-impact collisions."
Consumers turn to smaller vehicles as pump prices surge
Sales of some small pickups have fared better than full-size trucks, whose sales have plummeted because of high fuel prices. The small pickups offer better fuel economy ratings than large pickups. One version of the Tacoma, for example, has combined fuel efficiency ratings of 10.7 L/100 km, while versions of the Colorado got a combined 11.8 L/100 km according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
In the institute's side test, the vehicle's side is struck by a barrier moving at 49 km/h. The barrier simulates the front end of a pickup or sport utility vehicle. In the government's side-impact tests, a shorter, more lightweight barrier strikes into the side of the vehicle at 62 km/h.
