Hyundai Motor Co.'s Accent and Kia Motors Corp.'s Rio received "poor" ratings in a U.S. auto safety group's side and rear impact crash tests of minicars, according to the group on Wednesday.
The two South Korean small-car models were also graded "acceptable," the worst rating out of eight models tested, in frontal crash tests, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said in a statement posted on its Web site.
A "poor" rating means there may be serious or potentially fatal injuries if the car is struck by another vehicle, the group said.
Nissan Motor Co.'s Versa was the only model that received "good" ratings in all three tests, which simulated frontal, side and rear crashes. A "good" rating means drivers may only suffer minor injuries, as the car's structure held up well by minimizing intrusion into the space around the driver dummy.
The Accent's curtain-style airbags in the front and rear seats provided good head protection, but other readings from the dummy indicate a driver in a real crash would be likely to sustain "internal organ injuries, broken ribs and a fractured pelvis," the group said.
"Overall, the Accent is the lowest rated car in this group," the group said.
"When a vehicle's seat/head restraint design isn't good, people are more likely to suffer neck injuries in rear impacts," said Adrian Lund, the institute's president in the statement.
Such a crash is the most common type of crash in commuter traffic, the group said. More than two million insurance claims are filed for whiplash each year in the U.S., costing more than US$8 billion.
About 1 out of every 10 of these injuries results in long-term pain or disability, the group said.
Seoul, Dec. 20 (Yonhap News)
Hyundai, Kia score worst in minicar crash tests in U.S. |
