The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has conducted low-speed crash tests of new cars to determine their relative bumper protection since 1969. The ability of bumpers to protect against damage in these tests has varied considerably over the past 26 years, depending on the strength of the federal standard in effect at the time as well as on manufacturer design choices. The cost to repair the damage sustained in these tests has been published regularly in the Insurance Institute for Highway `Safety Status Report'. A brief history of the changing standards for car bumper strength and the resulting changes in crash test performance is provided in `Low-Speed Crash Tests: 1993 Mid-size Four-Door Passenger Cars', Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, May 1993. Bumpers on passenger and cargo vans, pickup trucks, and utility vehicles have never been subject to federal regulations. In the Institute's first low-speed crash test program that focused on a group of passenger vans, test results were poor overall (`Low-Speed Crash Tests: 1994 Passenger Vans', Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, January 1994). In contrast, the bumper protection provided by three new or redesigned vehicles, tested after completion of the van program, showed promise (`Low-Speed Crash Tests: 1994 Saab 900S, 1995 Dodge Neon Highline, 1995 Ford Windstar GL', Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, May 1994). To determine the bumper protection provided by a variety of 1995 model mid-size four-door sedans in low-speed crashes, a series of 52 crash tests was performed January 9-19, 1995. Thirteen models from major manufacturers representing a broad range of vehicle retail prices were tested. The cost to repair the damage sustained in each crash test was estimated using standard appraisal criteria and procedures. (A)
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