SUV Crash Safety Ratings

[FindLaw_blog]

The 2009 Nissan Murano has earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's "Top Safety Pick" award for mid-size sport-utility vehicles (SUVs). The 2009 Murano performed best in front, side, and rear impact tests of nine 4-door midsize SUVs. Among the SUVs tested by IIHS, the Mazda CX-7, Mazda CX-9, and Mitsubishi's Endeavor earned ratings of "good" for front and side impact protection. Hummer's H3 received the lowest rating ("acceptable") for front crashes, while the 2008 Jeep Liberty, Jeep Wrangler, and Kia Sorento received the lowest ratings for side-impact crashes. The IIHS reports that overall, SUV safety is improving: "In 2001 only half of the midsize models that were tested earned good ratings in the frontal offset test. In the latest evaluations, all but the Hummer H3 do."

• IIHS News Release on SUV Crash Safety Ratings
• Associated Press: Murano Gets Top Rating in Crash Tests
• Crash Test 101 (Consumer Reports)
• Choosing a Safe Vehicle (FindLaw)
• Motor Vehicle Accidents (FindLaw)