ARLINGTON, Virginia — The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has released roof strength test results for minicars. In the rollover crash testing, the Smart Fortwo was ranked "good," the highest rating, while the Chevrolet Aveo got the lowest score at "marginal."
The Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Mini Cooper and Toyota Yaris were all ranked "acceptable" in the testing. To get a "good" rating — which the Smart Fortwo was the only minicar to achieve — the car's roof must be more than twice as strong as the current federal minimum standard.
The testing pushes a metal plate against one side of the vehicle's roof at a constant speed. The strength-to-weight ratio is measured. A roof must hold up against a force of four times the vehicle's weight before crushing by 5 inches to get the "good" rating, 3.25 times the vehicle's weight for the "acceptable" rank and 2.5 times the vehicle's weight for the "marginal" ranking.
IIHS chief Adrian Lund notes that smaller cars "should have an easier time with the roof strength test" because they weigh less, meaning it should be easier for the roof to maintain the structure around the vehicle's occupants. He also says the "good" rating level, reflecting a strength-to-weight ratio of four, means an estimated 50 percent reduction in the risk of serious or fatal injury in a single-vehicle rollover compared with the current federal standard, which is 1.5.
The IIHS Top Safety Pick awards will toughen their roof strength standards for 2010, Lund said. Next year, a vehicle must get a roof strength rating of "good" to quality as a Top Safety Pick. He predicted, "We're going to see fewer winners in 2010."
Inside Line says: IIHS throws down the gauntlet to automakers. — Laura Sky Brown, Correspondent
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