Watch: IIHS Reveals the Most Watched Crash Tests of 2022
Every year, the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) performs hundreds of crash tests to validate the safety of new vehicles hitting the road. It also crowns the safest models by handing out “Top Safety Pick” awards.
It’s always interesting to see how a vehicle reacts during a collision and find out where its weak points are. The results are sometimes disappointing, especially since the IIHS implemented new, tougher tests to address higher-speed crashes that continue to cause fatalities.
- Also: Compact Cars Get Mixed Reviews in New IIHS Side-Impact Test
- Also: Watch: Jeep Wrangler Rolls Over Again in IIHS Crash Test
For various reasons, people love to watch certain cars and trucks get demolished more than others. Look no further than the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco, two big-time rivals with exceptional capabilities and passionate customers. The former made plenty of headlines in recent years after rolling over more than once in the small front overlap crash test.
The Wrangler and Bronco are actually the stars of two of the most watched crash tests of 2022 according to a new IIHS video which you can find below. The Subaru BRZ, Tesla Model Y and, strangely, the 2013 Chevrolet Spark round out the top five.
Bronco fans can brag about their beloved SUV earning much better scores than the Wrangler in the IIHS’ front and side crash tests. The next-generation BRZ, meanwhile, has received a Top Safety Pick+ award, the highest possible distinction.
Ditto for the 2021-2022 Model Y—and it saved a family of four in California earlier this month when their electric crossover plunged off a 250-foot cliff. Miraculously, all occupants survived and none suffered severe injuries. Experts on the scene claimed the even weight distribution resulting from the floor-mounted battery and lack of combustion engine played a key role.
