IIHS & HLDI news: 2008

August 27, 2008	IIHS asks NHTSA to retain windshield intrusion standard The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) submitted a comment to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) objecting to its proposal to rescind the federal standard on windshield zone intrusion because of its success and redundancy with other standards. The comment refutes the agency's conclusions and emphasizes the necessity of retaining the standard to ensure occupant protection in future vehicles sold in the United States.
August 26, 2008	North Carolina strengthens law against riding in the cargo area of pickup trucks North Carolina recently amended its laws prohibiting children from riding in the cargo area of pickup trucks. The law previously provided that children under the age of 12 were not to be transported in the cargo area. The amendment law now covers children under the age of 16. The law contains several exceptions, including permitting children of all ages to ride in the cargo area if supervised by an adult. For more information on state laws prohibiting children from riding in the cargo area of pickup trucks, go to http://www.iihs.org/laws/cargoAreas.aspx
August 25, 2008	2009 GMC Acadia earns Top Safety Pick award The GMC Acadia, a large SUV, also is sold as the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and Saturn Outlook. To qualify for Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must earn the highest rating of good in the Institute's front, side, and rear tests and be equipped with electronic stability control. Criteria to win are tough because the award is intended to drive continued safety improvements such as top crash test ratings and the rapid addition of electronic stability control, which is standard on the Acadia. "Recognizing vehicles at the head of the class for safety helps consumers distinguish the best overall choices without having to sort through multiple test results," says Institute president Adrian Lund. The Top Safety Pick designation applies to 2008-09 Acadia, Enclave, and Outlook models built after March, 2008, and the new for 2009 Traverse. New Institute ratings for the GMC Acadia \| Buick Enclave \| Chevrolet Traverse \| Saturn Outlook
August 21, 2008	Low-speed vehicles legal in most states on roads with low speed limits Federal standards covering low-speed vehicles apply to those used for "short trips for shopping, social, and recreational purposes primarily within retirement or other planned communities with golf courses." To qualify, a vehicle must have 4 wheels and a top speed of at least 20 mph but not more than 25. States, not NHTSA, are responsible for regulating the operation of motor vehicles on public roads and for handling low-speed vehicle titling and registration. For information on the roads in each state where low-speed vehicles are legal, go to http://www.iihs.org/laws/LowSpeedVehicles.aspx
August 20	New crash test results: 4 small SUVs earn Top Safety Pick; good ratings for hybrids, but the Jeep Wrangler is poor in side test
August 19, 2008	HLDI submits VIN comment to Transport Canada The Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) submitted a comment to Transport Canada concerning amendments to its vehicle identification number (VIN) requirements. The comment addresses concerns raised in HLDI's petition (June 12, 2008) to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to ensure unique VINs for motorcycles and for pickup trucks with gross vehicle weight ratings of 10,000 pounds or less. Lack of unique VINs will make it difficult to determine the on-road experience and safety of particular motorcycles and whether the VINs for some pickups comply with the old or new requirements.
August 15, 2008	Mazda 6 is GOOD for frontal crash protection Latest Institute ratings for the Mazda 6 Verification ratings are based on 40 mph frontal offset crash tests conducted by manufacturers for vehicles meeting requirements established by the Institute.
August 15, 2008	Nissan Maxima is GOOD for frontal crash protection Latest Institute ratings for the Nissan Maxima Verification ratings are based on 40 mph frontal offset crash tests conducted by manufacturers for vehicles meeting requirements established by the Institute.
August 12	Audi Q7 earns Top Safety Pick award
August 12	States begin to allow the use of the minitrucks on public roads Minitrucks are small-engine, gasoline-powered, four-wheel motorized vehicles that have the following characteristics: a fully enclosed passenger compartment, one row of bench seating for the driver and a passenger, a steering wheel, and a flat-bed or lift as the rear part of the vehicle. Minitrucks laws page
August 7	Five states change license renewal cycles for older drivers License renewal procedures for older drivers can include accelerated renewal cycles that provide for shorter renewal intervals for drivers older than a specified age, typically 65 or 70; a requirement that they renew their licenses in person rather than electronically or by mail where remote renewal is permitted; and testing (vision and road tests, for example) that is not routinely required of younger drivers. These special renewal procedures for older drivers apply in addition to the procedures that exist in all states for evaluating licensed drivers of any age who may no longer meet the standards for licensure because of physical or mental infirmities. In 2008 five states amended their laws to change driver's license renewal cycles: Virginia increased from 5 to 8 years the renewal cycle for all drivers (effective July 1, 2008) Rhode Island increased from 70 to 75 the age at which the 2-year accelerated renewal begins (effective July 1, 2008) Colorado allows drivers of all ages to renew by mail, provided the previous renewal was in person; the state also increased from 61 to 66 the age at which drivers can renew licenses electronically (effective August 6, 2008) Florida increased from 6 to 8 years the renewal cycle for all drivers and created an accelerated renewal cycle of 6 years for drivers 80 and older (effective October 1, 2008) Hawaii increased from 6 to 8 years the renewal cycle for all drivers (effective November 3, 2008) Information on each state's licensing renewal provisions for older drivers
August 5	Acura RL wins Top Safety Pick award; seat/head restraint combination improves to good
July 24	First time Institute side tests small pickups: Toyota rates good, but results for others are 'dismal' and key safety feature isn't standard on most models See also Status Report, Vol. 43, No. 6 cover story (PDF)
July 1	Federal bumper rules should apply to SUVs, pickups, vans, and cars alike See also Status Report, Vol. 43, No.5 cover story (PDF)
June 23	Acura TSX luxury car is Top Safety Pick
June 9	Teen drivers often ignore bans on using cellphones and texting See also Status Report, Vol. 43, No. 4 cover story (PDF) and "Short-term effects of a teenage driver cellphone restriction" research paper (PDF)
June 4	IIHS testifies on the relationship of roof strength and injury risk in rollover crashes Testimony PDF
May 14	First Institute crash tests of Smart car: diminutive two-seater earns top ratings for protecting people in front & side crashes
April 17	New crash test results: Subaru Forester is Top Safety Pick
April 10	New crash tests of midsize cars: protection in side impacts improves, but most cars tested still afford marginal or poor protection in rear crashes
February 26	New crash tests of SUVs: Nissan Murano is Top Safety Pick; 3 SUVs are marginal or poor for protection in side crashes
January 17	Brian Boyden is elected IIHS board chairman
January 17	Laurette Stiles is elected HLDI board chairman
January 10	Infiniti SUV earns top safety award
January 9	Cadillac CTS earns top safety award

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News media: For further information about Institute releases, contact Russ Rader, Director, Media Relations at (703) 247-1500 or rrader@iihs.org.

Reported vehicle ratings apply to those specific dates only — for our latest results, see vehicle ratings.