MSNBC.com has a report about an interesting high speed frontal crash test on several big cars: 2006 Lexus GS 300, the 2005 Ford 500, GM's 2005 Buick Lacrosse, 2005 Acura RL, 2005 Toyota Avalon, 2005 KIA Amanti, 2005 Cadillac STS and the 2005 Chrysler 300.
High speed frontal accidents, like those being tested at 40 miles per hour, are among the deadliest out there. But with today's technology, you should be able to walk away from them with no significant injuries.
Brian O'Neill runs the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a non-profit group funded by insurance companies looking to improve safety and reduce claims. The Institute buys cars right off dealer's lots and replicates what might happen if two identical cars run into each other.
The 2006 Lexus GS 300, 2005 Ford 500 and GM's 2005 Buick Lacrosse received the best rating the Institute had to offer. Their dummies were protect by the safety cage and could have gotten up and walked away if they were not dummies.
The dummy in the 2005 KIA Amanti would have sustained a leg injury, but all the cars tested porformed well:
To recap, every large car in this round of tests is rated good. The only one that didn't get a "best pick" was the KIA Amanti. KIA tells dateline it's "disappointed," but "confident" that the Amanti is a "safe vehicle."
