Bigger SUV size doesn't equate to better safety, says IIHS

IIHS put crash test dummies in three popular SUVs: Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Expedition & Jeep Wagoneer.

According to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS), bigger SUVs don't guarantee better safety in a crash.

The agency recently showcased this by testing three mammoth body-on-frame SUV models - wherein all three of them failed to protect second-row occupants.

IIHS put crash test dummies in three popular SUVs: Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Expedition & Jeep Wagoneer. While all three SUVs passed the front and side-impact tests, the safety of second-row occupants is what the agency was worried about. IIHS stated, "Measurements taken from the rear dummy showed a fairly high risk of chest injuries because of high seatbelt forces."

David Harkey, President of IIHS, stated, "The huge mass of these large SUVs provides some additional protection in crashes with smaller vehicles, though that also means they present more danger to other road users. The flip side of their large size is that there is a lot more force to manage when they crash into a fixed obstacle, like a tree or bridge abutment or the barrier we use in our front crash tests."

Source: Autoblog