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New crash test names safest cars for head on collisions

Posted at 8:31 AM, Aug 14, 2012
and last updated 2012-08-14 08:31:56-04

By Karin Caifa

(CNN) – A new kind of vehicle crash test aims to curb injuries and deaths related to a particularly dangerous kind of collision. Karin Caifa has details, in today’s Consumer Watch.  

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is adding another crash test to the mix. A new safety check will target a specific kind of crash. The crash is defined as a small, overlap crash because it looks like what happens when just the small front corner of a vehicle hits another vehicle or tree or object. 

Most cars have safety cages for protection in the event of a head on collision.However, the new test seeks to improve performance in crashes that affect car’s outer edges. According to the IIHS about one quarter of serious injuries and fatalities in these accidents, involve collisions like the one this test duplicates.

IIHS tested 11 midsize and near luxury models under the new guidelines. Three earned good or acceptable ratings- the Acura TL, Volvo S-60 and Infinite G.

Karin Caifa has more details, in today’s Consumer Watch.