Crash tests by the IIHS revealed that all minivans sold in the U.S. lack second-row occupant protection.
Despite being reduced to only four models, minivans have always been praised as the ultimate choice for family transportation, disregarding their stereotypical “soccer mom” image.
These vehicles are designed low enough for toddlers to easily climb in and out of, and they offer spacious interiors with three rows of seats that can be folded or removed to create a large cargo space whenever needed. Sliding rear doors, a feature inherited from traditional panel vans, make it much more convenient to buckle up children in crowded parking lots. Furthermore, two models, namely the Chrysler Pacifica and Toyota Sienna, now come with all-wheel drive for added safety on wet or snowy roads.
However, a recent report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reveals that the remaining minivans are far from being the safest vehicles on the road, especially for second-row passengers. Interestingly, this data was released during the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s annual Child Passenger Safety Week. This coincides with another Forbes.com article reporting that half of all car seats examined were not installed correctly.
Although the IIHS states that the rate of motor vehicle crash deaths for children under 13 has reduced by 78% since 1975, there are still 710 annual fatalities and over 100,000 recorded injuries among this age group.
While all four minivan models sold in the U.S. offer high-level protection in the front seats, none of them achieved a top “good” rating or even a second-best “acceptable” rating in the moderate overlap front crash test. This test has recently been updated to emphasize the safety of rear seat passengers. As a result, the Chrysler Pacifica, Kia Carnival, and Toyota Sienna received an overall “marginal” rating, while the Honda Odyssey scored a disappointing “poor.”
“Back seat safety is essential for all vehicles, but it’s particularly crucial for those, like minivans, that individuals choose specifically to transport their families,” says IIHS President David Harkey. “It’s disheartening that automakers have not been quicker in implementing the best available technology for the second row in this vehicle class.”
The IIHS introduced the updated moderate overlap front crash test last year as part of its ongoing process to refine and revise the way cars, trucks, and SUVs are tested for occupant protection in various crash scenarios. Unfortunately, the results have not been positive for most of the tested models, including many SUVs, passenger cars, and small pickup trucks, as they failed to adequately protect second-row occupants who are statistically more likely to be children.
When the IIHS made these updates, their objective was to “address a growing gap in the protection provided for front and rear occupants.” The test involves a vehicle traveling at 40 mph and hitting 40% of a deformable barrier on the driver’s side of another vehicle of the same weight and speed. The original test only used a crash dummy in the driver’s seat for evaluation, but the latest version adds a second dummy representing a small woman or a 12-year-old child seated in the back seat behind the driver.
In order to receive a good rating in the moderate overlap front crash test, a vehicle must demonstrate that it minimizes the risk of head, neck, chest, abdomen, or thigh injuries for the rear passenger, as recorded by the second-row dummy. The dummy should remain properly positioned without slipping beneath the lap belt during the crash, and the head should remain at a safe distance from the front seatback and other interior surfaces.
Minivans are not the only vehicles facing this challenge. Out of the limited number of new models that have undergone the more rigorous front crash simulation, only eight received an acceptable or good score in the test.
The IIHS discovered that the issue lies not in the overall structural integrity of the minivans, but rather in excessive belt forces or poor belt positioning that leave passengers vulnerable to life-threatening injuries in the event of a crash.
Although this may concern parents, the IIHS clarifies that the current failed moderate overlap front test ratings do not apply to children properly secured in child safety seats, which is not only good practice but is also mandated in many states for infants and children up to a certain age, typically four to eight years old. Furthermore, the Institute emphasizes that the back seat of a vehicle remains the safest place for children, especially when they are in rear-facing seats and risk injury from an inflating airbag if seated in the front.
Here are the models tested so far that achieved acceptable or good ratings in the IIHS’ moderate overlap front tests:
- Ford Escape
- Honda Civic
- Nissan Frontier
- Subaru Outback
- Tesla Model Y
- Toyota Corolla
- Toyota RAV4
- Volvo XC40
You can read the IIHS’ full report here; and you can check crash test results for other vehicle types from past and present model years here.
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