The Insurance coverage Institute for Freeway Security (IIHS) introduced as we speak that it’s implementing a brand new crash check that evaluates the flexibility of the entrance seat head restraints to forestall widespread whiplash accidents in rear-end collisions. The IIHS has examined entrance head restraints for many years, however it not too long ago discontinued that authentic head restraint analysis as a result of basically all new autos have been performing nicely in it. Within the new check, the IIHS really performs two separate checks, one at 20 mph just like the previous whiplash prevention check, and the opposite at a brand new, greater pace of 30 mph.
The up to date check is in response to findings that occupants of good-rated autos have been nonetheless affected by whiplash accidents in real-world crashes based mostly on insurance coverage declare charges for various fashions. We’ve got coated some necessary issues to learn about your headrest earlier than, however the IIHS additionally stresses that correct head restraint adjustment is an integral part of the efficacy of the top restraint system in actual world collisions.
The primary crop of 18 small SUVs examined fared comparatively nicely
The IIHS additionally introduced the outcomes from the primary implementation of its up to date whiplash prevention check, after evaluating 18 small SUVs. As an entire, the group carried out comparatively nicely, with 4 fashions scoring the best ranking of fine, 9 scoring the second-highest ranking of acceptable, two incomes the second-lowest ranking of marginal, and three incomes the bottom ranking of poor.
The highest performers have been the outgoing 2025 Audi Q3 and the outgoing 2025 Toyota RAV4, in addition to the 2025 and 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Subaru Forester, all of which earned the best ranking of fine. The vast majority of the autos examined earned acceptable rankings, which incorporates 2025 and 2026 Buick Encore GX, Chevrolet Equinox, Jeep Compass, Kia Sportage, Mitsubishi Outlander, Volkswagen Taos, and Volvo XC40. The 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLB additionally earned a suitable ranking, as did the 2024 and 2025 Honda CR-V.
The 2025 and 2026 Nissan Rogue scored a marginal ranking, as did the 2025 BMW X1, whereas the 2025 and 2026 Ford Bronco Sport, Hyundai Tucson, and Mazda CX-50 all earned the bottom rating of poor. Every of those fashions allowed for elevated measures in a lot of the evaluated classes, like tilting or bending drive of the top relative to the neck, and subjectively, they give the impression of being quite painful within the video.
Why is not there an precise rear crash check, and why is not there a rear-seat head restraint check?
In 2025, when requested why the IIHS does not really carry out bodily rear-end crash checks, an IIHS spokesperson stated that “extreme rear-end crashes are comparatively uncommon in contrast with lower-speed impacts. Whereas these higher-severity crashes do happen, ones that do lead to fatalities usually contain business autos and are of a severity that may’t be addressed by crash testing.” In addition they cited the federal government’s regulatory necessities, which guarantee gasoline system integrity, which “to some extent ensures that automobile buildings will maintain up in a rear affect.”
The spokesperson additionally stated that the IIHS is a non-profit with restricted sources, so it prefers to give attention to the prevention of whiplash-type accidents, that are the most typical harm kind reported to insurance coverage corporations.
The IIHS additionally forgoes testing rear-seat head restraints for monetary causes, saying, “We would be able to consider fewer autos total if we expanded testing to different seating positions.” The IIHS additionally not too long ago up to date its reasonable entrance overlap crash check and did so by evaluating rear seat occupant safety along with entrance seat occupant safety, so if the checks proceed to increase, there’s at the very least an out of doors probability that rear seat whiplash safety might be examined in some unspecified time in the future, too. Although the spokesperson raised level, “there’s all the time an occupant within the driver seat and so focusing consideration on this place in as many fashions as attainable goes to make the largest distinction.”
