Structural Crashworthiness

Automakers build two important structures into a truck to protect the occupants.

The first is a collapsible energy-absorbing structure designed to crush in a controlled manner, absorbing the energy of the crash and increasing the time it takes for the truck to come to a stop.

The second structure is a reinforced, protective cabin that surrounds the occupants and protects them from injury by keeping the exterior impact from reaching them. Each year NHTSA crash tests popular models into a fixed barrier at 35 m.p.h. The agency also tests for side collisions by sending a 3,015-pound barrier moving at 38.5 m.p.h. into the side of a standing vehicle. The tests measure the crash's impact on the driver and passenger dummies' heads, chests and thighbones, using all the vehicle's standard safety equipment. And the results, even among different models in the same size class, do indeed vary greatly. You can obtain information on NHTSA's crash tests on the Internet (www.nhtsa.dot.gov).

The IIHS also crash tests vehicles by sending them into a barrier at 40 m.p.h. And it publishes periodic reports, assembled from claims data collected from the institute's sponsoring insurance companies, that show injury frequencies for popular models.

For further information or a copy of the pamphlet "Shopping For A Safer Car," write Communications Dept., 1005 N. Glebe Rd. Suite 800, Arlington, VA 22201. Or visit the institute's Web site (www.hldi.org).