NHTSA will continue to perform its front crash test at 35 mph using a rigid barrier. The side crash test remains based on a 3,015-pound car traveling at 38.5 mph striking the left side of the car.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) used a frontal-offset test conducted at 40 mph, which simulates a typical head-on crash with another similar car. For the side test, the IIHS uses a 3,300-pound moving barrier that strikes higher up on the tested vehicle to simulate the car being hit on the side at 90 degrees by a typical-height SUV or truck. It is conducted at a lower speed, 31 mph. (See crash tests performed by IIHS.)
