Ford sets safety milestone

Blind_Io

Blind_Io

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http://money.cnn.com/2007/10/04/aut...e_crash_test/index.htm?postversion=2007100411

Mustang first ragtop to ace NHTSA crash tests

The retro-styled Ford is also the first sports car to get perfect safety scores from government car safety agency.

By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNNMoney.com staff writer
October 4 2007: 11:22 AM EDT

The 2008 Ford Mustang is the first convertible to ever earn five-star ratings in all crash tests performed by the federal government's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Ford announced Thursday.
Five stars is the highest possible rating in those tests. The Mustang earned five stars for front crash safety for both the driver and passenger as well as five stars for side impact for both front and back passengers. The Mustang convertible also earned five stars for rollover resistance, a measure of how likely a vehicle is to roll over during an abrupt maneuver.
mustang_convertible.03.jpg
2008 Ford Mustang convertible



All five categories have existed since 2001 when NHTSA added a rollover rating based on laboratory tests.
The results apply to 2008 model year Ford (Charts, Fortune 500) Mustangs. Side airbags are standard equipment on 2008 Mustangs but were optional in previous model years.
IIHS: Top Safety Picks
The hardtop version of the 2008 Mustang also earned five stars in all but one of NHTSA's crash tests. The hardtop Mustang earned four stars for rear passenger protection in side impacts.
The Mustang convertible may have earned a higher score for rear passenger protection because of additional metal structure added to the convertible's body to help resist flexing.
Without a roof, convertible cars' bodies are more prone to twisting during driving which can adversely affect handling. Most convertibles have additional support added to the body to prevent twisting and in this case, Ford spokesman Dan Jarvis theorized, that added structure may also have improved the convertible's performance in the side crash test.
In NHTSA's front impact test, vehicles are crashed into wall at 35 miles per hour. The test is designed to mimic a head-on crash between two similar-sized vehicles at that speed. In NHTSA's side impact test, the vehicle is struck from the side by a 3,015 pound barrier moving at 38.5 miles per hour.
To rate rollover resistance, NHTSA determines a vehicle's center of gravity, a measure of how top-heavy it is, using laboratory tests. A driving test, added in 2004, is also conducted if laboratory tests indicate a vehicle might tip during a sudden maneuver.
The Mustang convertible didn't do quite as well in crash tests conducted by the privately funded Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. In IIHS tests, the Mustang convertible earned the top score for side impact protection, but rated only Acceptable, the second-best score, for front impact protection. The Insurance Institute gave the Mustang a Poor rating for whiplash protection from rear impacts. NHTSA does not rate vehicles for whiplash protection.
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"It has such a crappy suspension, we make it safe when it flips over (what it will certainly do in a corner)"
 
D-Fence said:
"It has such a crappy suspension, we make it safe when it flips over (what it will certainly do in a corner)"
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Hello, have you forgotten the Audi TT? And what about the Mercedes A-Class? Germans shouldn't be allowed to criticize cars that flip over, much in the same way that they don't say what's cool. :lol:

BTW, read the article. I think you'll find you've missed something. ;)
 
I hate the IIHS. You have to question the motives of an organization funded by the big insurance companies.
 
Their motive is to 1)reduce the payout on claims, especially for injuries and 2) help set premiums for coverage. They want as accurate a description of the crash worthiness of every car for their statistical analysis.
 
What makes you think it's biased? They have no reason to skew the results because they would only be screwing themselves.
 
Blind_Io said:
What makes you think it's biased? They have no reason to skew the results because they would only be screwing themselves.
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Ncap is the benchmark. I know what they test and how they test and it's the most appreciated crash-test program. Why use anything else?
 
static said:
Ncap is the benchmark. I know what they test and how they test and it's the most appreciated crash-test program. Why use anything else?
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Er, the IIHS has been crash testing cars for over 30 years. Euro NCAP was only founded 10 years ago.
 
The Mustang convertible didn't do quite as well in crash tests conducted by the privately funded Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. In IIHS tests, the Mustang convertible earned the top score for side impact protection, but rated only Acceptable, the second-best score, for front impact protection. The Insurance Institute gave the Mustang a Poor rating for whiplash protection from rear impacts. NHTSA does not rate vehicles for whiplash protection.
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static said:
Yeah, whatever. I've never even heard about IIHS before so it doesn't mean anything to me.
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Yeah, whatever. I've never even heard about (insert anything here) before so it doesn't mean anything to me. That has to be the lamest response to (insert anything here).
 
cvg said:
Yeah, whatever. I've never even heard about (insert anything here) before so it doesn't mean anything to me. That has to be the lamest response to (insert anything here).
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If they want to prove something, they have to shine in euroncap crash tests. I've never ever seen anything marketing with "IIHS" crash test results. Might be a big thing there, means nothing over here.
 
static said:
If they want to prove something, they have to shine in euroncap crash tests. I've never ever seen anything marketing with "IIHS" crash test results. Might be a big thing there, means nothing over here.
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Hmm, here's a thought: maybe because in Europe they use NCAP, and in America they use IIHS, so that's why you haven't heard of the latter...

Both are still equally important standards, so I don't see what you're going on about. Do they even sell a lot of Mustangs in Europe to warrant advertising its safety standards there?
 
static said:
Yeah, whatever. I've never even heard about IIHS before so it doesn't mean anything to me.
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And I'm sure the NHL means nothing to you, nor the NFL, or the NAACP, or anything else from The Americas that starts with "National."

On the other hand, I hadn't even heard of Finland until 2nd grade World Geography. Oh SNAP! *laughs* j/k

static said:
If they want to prove something, they have to shine in euroncap crash tests. I've never ever seen anything marketing with "IIHS" crash test results. Might be a big thing there, means nothing over here.
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I can also assure you that there hasn't been a single car marketed in the US with EuroNCAP results. It's always the IIHS, or the NHTS.
 
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static said:
Yeah, whatever. I've never even heard about IIHS before so it doesn't mean anything to me.
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So your ignorance about something results in it being less reliable or trustworthy? Buddy, I hate to break it to you, but the list of what you don't know is staggering (as it is with all of us).

Pull your head out.

static said:
If they want to prove something, they have to shine in euroncap crash tests. I've never ever seen anything marketing with "IIHS" crash test results. Might be a big thing there, means nothing over here.
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Or, and this is a crazy-ass idea, you could educate yourself about the testing process the car has already been put through. Instead of belittling the results, why don't you find out what the testing criteria are and compare them to your Euro NCAP standards? IIHS has been crashing cars three times longer than Euro NCAP, for all you know NCAP took many of the standards developed by IIHS and the NTSB to make their tests more effective.

35in2uu.jpg
 
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