Should Car Companies That Rank Poorly In Crash Tests Be Fined Or Have Models Pulled From The Market?

The so-called small overlap test involves crashing the front corner of a car into a barrier at 40 mph. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety devised the test to simulate a collision with a stationary object such as a tree or a utility pole.

Just three out of 11 luxury cars rated "good" or "acceptable" on the insurance industry group's first round of tests this summer, but today the IIHS gave a good rating to the four-door Honda Accord and the Suzuki Kizashi, and an acceptable rating to 11 more mid-sized cars.

"Normally we see new technology and new innovations go into the luxury cars first, so we see them doing better," IIHS President Adrian Lund said. "This is a bit of a surprise."

Three other models -- the Hyundai Sonata, Chevrolet Malibu and Volkswagen Jetta sedan -- rated as "marginal."

Steve - 12/21/2012 12:33:53 PM

+6 Boost

Should car companies that make cars that don't handle as well as a BMW -- and are thereby more able to maneuver around an incident -- be fined or have their models pulled? What about drivers who are not trained well, or whose skills are not up to par: Should they lose their license?

Guru Steve says: Post vehicle crash ratings on the windshield sticker, and let the buyer decide based on how much money they have, and what's important to them. I am SO not into others believing they know what's best for me, and that they should decide for me. Yech!

JRobUSC - 12/21/2012 4:06:39 PM

+1 Boost

You want to pull a car off the market or fine the manufacturer for it not scoring well in a brand new test that didn't exist when the car was originally released? And that makes sense how exactly? You going to pull every used car off the market and crush them while you're at it? They'd fail all the new tests and standards too.

MorePower - 12/23/2012 5:32:20 AM

+1 Boost

Put the test results on the sticker, right next to the estimate MPG figures and the price.

Dealers should also have to post all their vehicles crash test results on a poster/placard that is large, easy to read/understand and where every customer can see it.

If need be, it should be attached to the paperwork and posted in each sales office.

TheDepressingTruth - 12/24/2012 10:14:34 PM

+1 Boost

Who the HELL do you think you are to even suggest such a thing, MIKE Bloomberg!
GOD...Either the "Free Market"(which doesn't exist) will take care of it...OR, It's natural selection at work, stupid people buy stupid cars! Rather, we should think of it as "skimming the scum off the gene pool"

NeoReaper - 12/27/2012 12:01:27 PM

+1 Boost

this article is kind of dumb... the reason these new tests show better results is because some of the cars here were redesigned to pass this test after seeing the luxury cars fail it. its even pointed out by IIHS itself that the new honda accord was built specifically is pass this test... the camry, which was newly designed right before this test was first performed, is a good example of how cars would normally fair in this test prior to redesigns since toyota clearly didnt bother to beef up any structural points of the car to specifically pass this test. the only exceptional vehicles tested in my opinion was the suzuki kazashi and the volvo since neither car was designed to pass this test but essentially aced it.