06 July, 2017
Tesla Inc's Model S did not get the top score in certain tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the agency said on Thursday.
Dave Zuby, IIHS executive vice president and chief research officer, made that assessment while discussing the results of a new round of crash tests focused on six large cars, including the Model S.
The cars were subjected to tests for small overlap front crashes, moderate overlap front crashes, side impact crashes, roof strength and protection from head restraints.
In one test, the small overlap front collision, the front driver's side corner slams into a barrier at 40 miles per hour.
The ranking means drivers and passengers in each of the three models have a higher chance of surviving a vehicle crash, according to the institution.
Chevrolet Impala, Ford Motor Co's Taurus and Tesla's Model S were the three sedans that got "only an acceptable rating" in a test created to simulate what happens when the front driver-side corner of a vehicle strikes a tree or another vehicle, the IIHS said.
"The main problem with the performance of the Model S was that the safety belt let the dummy´s torso move too far forward, allowing the dummy´s head to strike the steering wheel hard through the airbag", the statement said.
The company also was investigated for a fatal crash in May 2016 involving a driver of a Model S using the Tesla´s autopilot feature. "But, the fact we got the same result the second time doing the test was disappointing".
The photo taken on March 31, 2016 shows a sales reprsentative (L) helping a customer pre-order, the as yet unseen Tesla Model 3, in the Tesla store in Santa Monica, California.
So, why the difference between the two crash tests?
The Lincoln Continental, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and the Toyota Avalon qualified in crash-testing for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Top Safety Pick+ designation, which is the highest award from the group that represents the insurance industry. NHTSA's evaluation does not include small overlap front-end collisions, which the IIHS blames for about a quarter of the injuries and fatalities in front-end crashes. The luxury sedan is also available with two different headlight systems, with one earning a good rating and the other getting an acceptable rating.