SUVs may lack side impact safety

The large vehicles don't uniformly deliver good results in such crashes, insurance industry says

Ken Thomas / Associated Press

Test scores

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety scores for the SUVs it tested in side-impact crashes:
Good
Toyota 4Runner
Nissan Pathfinder and Xterra (with optional side air bags)
Acceptable
Ford Explorer
Mercury Mountaineer
Marginal
Chevrolet TrailBlazer (and relatives the GMC Envoy, Isuzu Ascender and Saab 9-7X
Jeep Grand Cherokee
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WASHINGTON -- Some sport utility vehicles don't provide the protection in a side crash that one might expect from such large vehicles, according to tests released Thursday by the insurance industry.

"The performance of some of these models in the side test was surprising," said David Zuby, the institute's senior vice president. "SUVS should have an advantage in side crashes because the driver and passengers ride higher up than in cars."

"People often think they're safer in one of these vehicles, but many cars hold up better than some of these midsize SUVs in this test," he said.

In the institute's side test, vehicles are struck with a barrier moving at 31 mph to reflect the force of a pickup or sport utility vehicle hitting the vehicle.

The TrailBlazer and Grand Cherokee, built by General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC, respectively, lack air bags that protect the chests and abdomens of front-seat occupants. The combination of weak side structures and the lack of chest protection led to high forces on the driver dummies' chests and abdomens, Zuby said.

Company officials noted the TrailBlazer, Grand Cherokee and the Nissan SUVs received top scores in the government's side crash tests.

In frontal testing, all of the SUVs received the top score of good except the TrailBlazer, which improved to receive the second-highest rating of acceptable. Previous versions of the SUV had been rated marginal.

In rear crash testing, only the Grand Cherokee received the top rating of good. The Nissan Pathfinder was rated marginal while the remaining SUVs received the lowest score of poor.