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New York (CNN Business) -
Several SUVs struggled in a new side crash test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
Only one of the 20 vehicles tested earned the highest rating from the agency.
This year's results included an updated side crash test that uses a heavier 1,896 kilogram barrier traveling at 60 kilometers per hour to simulate a vehicle crash comparable to the "weight of today's mid-size SUVs," according to the Institute.
In total, the crash test takes 80% more energy compared to its predecessor.
"We developed this new test because we suspected there was room for improvement, and these results confirm this," IIHS President David Harkey said in a press release.
The Honda HR-V got a "poor" rating.
Results were optimal for the 2021 Mazda CX-5, which earned the top rating of "good." Nine vehicles scored "fair", including the Audi Q3, Buick Encore, Chevrolet Trax, Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester and Toyota RAV4. Two vehicles received the worst "poor" rating: the Honda HR-V and the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross.
The IIHS noted that the Honda HR-V's B-pillar, a vertical roof support typically located between the front and rear doors, detached from the frame, allowing the side of the vehicle to "flatten inward almost to the center of the car. driver's seat".
The lowest-scoring vehicles "generally struggled with both structural problems and high measurements of injuries to the chest and pelvis of both manikins."
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Side impact accidents accounted for 23% of passenger car occupant fatalities in 2019, the IIHS said.
The institute recommends automakers to reinforce horizontal door beams and adjust airbags to provide more cushioning.
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"There is no single reason why so many side crashes still result in fatalities, but these results provide a roadmap for specific improvements that can save lives," said IIHS Senior Research Engineer Becky Mueller.
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