The Chevy Traverse received a Marginal overall rating in the Insurance Institute for High Safety’s (IIHS) updated moderate overlap front test.
For those readers who may be unaware, the IIHS is an independent, scientific and educational 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to reduce deaths, injuries, and property damage from motor vehicle crashes. The IIHS’ recently updated moderate overlap front test now incorporates a rear passenger dummy positioned behind the driver, in addition to a driver dummy. The rear-seated Hybrid III dummy represents a small woman or 12-year-old child with regard to stature.
Rear passenger protection is considered the main differentiator in the updated IIHS test. In order to earn a good rating, measurements must indicate that the second-row dummy did not exceed limits indicating an excessive risk of injury to the head, neck, chest, abdomen, or thigh. The dummy’s head must not hit the vehicle interior or come too close to the seat back, and the dummy’s body must not slide under the lap belt (also known as “submarining”), which can result in abdominal injuries. The possibility of chest injuries is measured via a pressure sensor on the shoulder belt.
The IIHS recently examined 13 midsize crossovers in its updated moderate overlap front crash test, including the Chevy Traverse. The Traverse was one of three crossovers to receive an overall rating of Marginal, the other two being the Toyota Highlander and Volkswagen Atlas, while four crossovers (Ford Explorer, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Subaru Ascent, Tesla Model Y) received a Good overall rating. Six crossovers received a Poor overall rating, including the Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler 4-door, Mazda CX-9, and Nissan Murano.
The Chevy Traverse was notable for a more significant risk of head or neck injuries, while seat belt tension was also high, increasing the risk of chest injuries. Additionally, the driver dummy’s head collided with the steering wheel through the airbag.
“Zeroing in on weaknesses in rear seat safety is an opportunity to make big gains in a short time, since solutions that are already proven to work in the front can successfully be adapted for the rear,” said IIHS Senior Research Engineer Marcy Edwards. “The four good ratings in this round of testing show that some automakers are already doing it.”
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False. Large gas vehicles such as the Traverse (or large/taller in general) are actually less safe in many instances. The highest changes of sever injury or death are roll overs and SUV's and trucks have a significantly higher chance of that. They also have more mass to stop against a solid object so you are subject to more forces. The only place they are safer is in a collision against a moveable object. The safest vehicles are large sedans. They have the largest crumple zones, least likely to roll over (which has the highest injury rate) and have some mass to defeat another large vehicle.
Batter vehicles tend to be denser and heavier with much lower center of gravities too, so they are less likely to roll over and have the mass to go against a larger vehicle.
Care to spread any other false information?
You got bizarre physics. I have never seen a vehicle roll in a headon collision though sedans are just as likely to flip, and I’d prefere rolling to concaving in a sidelong collision. As it keeps the incoming vehicle from entering the passenger compartment and shows that vehicle it’s frame. Also, it really doesn’t matter how heavy your vehicle is against a tree or concrete wall, but in a vehicle to vehicle crash, any SUV will be heavier than a sedan. Also, most ICE are superior in head on collisions compared to BEV’s due to the weight being at the front kinda like a hammer. On a BEV or even worse a mid engine car like a Ferrari or C8, your a nail between 2 hammers as most the weight is behind you.