AutoRollover Resources

New IIHS Roof-Crush Test and Ratings

Originally posted at automedia.com - March 24, 2009

From a group who take the saying “keep the shiny side up” to heart, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has released its latest roof-crush test result and announced that such testing will play a key role in naming future Top Safety Picks.

Roof crush is the next major safety challenge the IIHS, having made significant strides in front and side-impact safety. More than 10,000 people a year are killed in rollovers. When vehicles roll, their roofs hit the ground, deform, and crush. Stronger roofs crush less, reducing the risk that people will be injured by contact with the roof itself. Stronger roofs also can prevent occupants, especially those who aren’t using safety belts, from being ejected through windows, windshields, or doors that have broken or opened because the roof has deformed.

“We anticipate that our roof strength test will drive improved rollover crash protection the same way that our frontal offset and side impact consumer test programs have led to better protection in these kinds of crashes,” says Institute president Adrian Lund.

This new rating system is based on Institute research showing that occupants in rollover crashes benefit from stronger roofs. Vehicles rated good must have roofs that are more than twice as strong as minimum federal safety standards require.

Twelve small SUVs were run through this stringent test protocol with decidedly mixed results. IIHS found that the Volkswagen Tiguan has the strongest rated roof and the Kia Sportage has the weakest among the 2008-09 models evaluated. The Tiguan, Subaru Forester, Honda Element, and Jeep Patriot earn good ratings. The Suzuki Grand Vitara, Chevrolet Equinox, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue, and Mitsubishi Outlander are rated acceptable. Roofs on the Honda CR-V and Ford Escape are marginal, and the Kia’s is poor.

In addition to reviewing the results from these new IIHS tests, new car shoppers should seriously consider electronic stability control (ESC) on their next vehicle, as that important life-saving feature can help prevent rollovers from even happening.