Minivans are frequently the go-to vehicle for families, not only for passenger comfort but also their ability to hold a lot of stuff. However, in a new examination from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, minivan safety isn’t exactly what you’d expect it to be.
[Related content: 2023 full-size truck back-seat safety falls short]
In fact, the places you put your car seats are rated the least-safe seats in the vehicle.
Say what? Let’s dig into this a bit.
Rear-seat minivan safety
The IIHS recently updated its moderate overlap front crash test, which places emphasis on rear-seat safety. This new test was implemented last year after the organization discovered the risk for fatal injury is higher for belted occupants in the second row, than for those in the first.
This test uses a crash-test dummy, which is the size of a 12-year old child, behind the driver. And none of the four minivans tested received anything better than an “Acceptable” rating for rear passenger restraints or a “Marginal” rating for rear-seat chest injuries. There is also an increased risk for head and neck injuries in all minivans, except the Toyota Sienna.
The Honda Odyssey is the worst minivan you can buy in terms of second-row passenger safety, regardless as to whether you got hit by a truck or a smaller vehicle, receiving an overall poor rating.
“The restraint systems in all four vehicles leave the second-row occupant vulnerable to chest injuries, either because of excessive belt forces or poor belt positioning,” said Jessica Jermakian, IIHS vice president of vehicle research. “That’s concerning because those injuries can be life-threatening.”
The results from the IIHS are as follows:
Ironically, even with these poor results, the Chrysler Pacifica, Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey all get a Top Safety Pick + Award from the IIHS, while the Kia Carnival gets a Top Safety Pick designation.
This just means you really need to do your research when selecting a family vehicle, searching out the results that mean the most.
The bottom line
The rear seat of a minivan is still the safest place for a child or car seat, but it’s disappointing that the minivan safety for the rear seat isn’t as good as the front. The IIHS crash testing shows there’s a lot of work that needs to be done in these family haulers to make them truly the best vehicle for families on the go.
