The minivan has become the quintessential family vehicle. Pull into any school during morning drop-off or afternoon pickup, and you will typically see a convoy of minivans lined up for this daily family routine. However, a new study has revealed that minivans, instead of keeping a family protected in a car accident, may actually be a deathtrap.

Minivan Safety Testing

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently conducted testing on four of the most popular models of minivans. According to their findings, these tests revealed many of the “worst outcomes” for the types of test crashes the researchers conducted.

The four minivans modeled tested were Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan (which is a twin to Chrylser’s model), Nissan Quest, and Toyota Sienna. Researchers wanted to determine how safe these vehicles are in small overlap front crashes. Overlap tests simulate what happens if a vehicle is hit in the front corner of the vehicle comes into contact with an object—such as another vehicle, utility pole or a tree.

According to the recent IIHS tests, three of the four minivans tested have critical flaws when it comes to protection from overlap crashes. Only the Toyota Sienna received an acceptable rating, although the IIHS report classified its structural performance as “subpar.”

Minivan Test Crash Results

When the Nissan Quest’s test crash occurred, the force of the impact pushed the lower hinge pillar in over two feet. The parking brake was moved over a foot-and-a-half towards the crash dummy in the driver’s seat, which trapped the dummy’s right foot between the toe pan and the brake pedal. The foot was wedged so deeply that the entire seat needed to be cut out and then technicians utilized a crowbar to free the foot. The dummy’s left leg was trapped between the instrumental panel and the seat. Additionally, when the airbag deployed, it smashed right into the dummy’s face. When testers measured the actual forces of the impact, especially along the length of the dummy’s left leg, there were areas where the force actually exceeded the amount the sensors could measure.

The Town & Country did no better in testing. The vehicle’s lower hinge pillar was pushed in 15 inches. The parking brake pedal gouged the dummy’s left leg and a steel brace from the under instrument panel tore the skin of the left knee of the dummy. The steering column and the door sill crushed towards the driver. Incredibly, when the vehicle’s front airbag deployed, it hit the crash dummy’s head, knocking it off and into the instrument panel. The side airbag offered little protection from the impact.

These tests crashes were performed at only 40 mph. Imagine if one of these crashes occurred with a family in the vehicle?

Contact a Compassionate Connecticut Wrongful Death Attorney

A vehicle collapsing on victims during an accident is unacceptable and a significant product defect these manufacturers need to address. If you have lost a family member in an accident caused by a defective motor vehicle, contact an experienced Westport wrongful death attorney to find out what legal action you may be able to take against the manufacturer.