Three out of seven large pickup trucks evaluated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in a new round of crash tests earn an acceptable or higher rating for occupant protection in a small overlap front crash.
IIHS evaluated two body styles of each 2016 model-year pickup — crew cab and extended cab. Crew cabs have four full doors and two full rows of seating. Extended cabs have two full front doors, two smaller rear doors and compact second-row seats.
IIHS last year decided it would test the two most popular variants of large pickups instead of just one after discovering that the Ford F-150 extended cab lacked structural countermeasures that helped the crew cab earn the top rating of good in the small overlap test. The test replicates what happens when a vehicle runs off the road and hits a tree or pole or clips another vehicle that has crossed the center line.
Ford improved the 2016 model F-150 SuperCab to clinch a good rating in the small overlap crash test, up from the 2015 model’s marginal rating. The F-150 is the only large pickup in the latest test group to earn the Institute’s top rating in the test. It joins the F-150 SuperCrew in earning a 2016 TOP SAFETY PICK award when equipped with Ford’s optional basic-rated forward collision warning system.
Vehicles that earn a basic rating for front crash prevention plus good ratings in the small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint evaluations qualify for TOP SAFETY PICK. To qualify for 2016 TOP SAFETY PICK+, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the five crashworthiness tests and an advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention.
Not a single small SUV out of 21 tested earns a good rating in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s headlight evaluations, and only four are available with acceptable-rated headlights.
Among the 21 vehicles, there are 47 different headlight combinations available. More than two-thirds of them are rated poor, making this group of vehicles even more deficient when it comes to lighting than the midsize cars that were the first to be rated earlier this year.
Headlight performance in today’s vehicles varies widely. Government standards are based on laboratory tests, which don’t accurately gauge performance in real-world driving. The issue merits attention because about half of traffic deaths occur either in the dark or around dawn or dusk.
As with midsize cars, the IIHS evaluations of small SUVs showed that a vehicle’s price tag doesn’t correspond to the quality of headlights. More modern lighting types, including high-intensity discharge (HID) and LED lamps, and curve-adaptive systems, which swivel in the direction of steering, also are no guarantee of good performance.
Just 15 vehicles qualify for the TOP SAFETY PICK+ award from IIHS after the requirements were strengthened to include good-rated headlights and good or acceptable passenger-side protection in small overlap front crashes.
Another 47 vehicles earn the TOP SAFETY PICK award, which now requires acceptable or good headlights. In contrast, headlights weren’t factored in for 2017 TOP SAFETY PICK, and an acceptable headlight rating was enough to bump a 2017 award winner into "plus" territory.
The inclusion of a passenger-side crash test is a first for any IIHS award. The Institute developed the passenger-side small overlap front crash test after it became clear that some manufacturers weren't paying sufficient attention to the passenger side as they made improvements to achieve better performance in the driver-side small overlap front test.
As part of an ongoing commitment to support life sciences innovators and the development of integrated, cross-sector solutions to prevent, intercept and cure diseases, Johnson & Johnson today named cell biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi, Ph.D., of the Tokyo Institute of Technology the winner of the 2016 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research for his pioneering discoveries concerning the molecular basis of autophagy.
Dr. Ohsumi was honored today during an event at the 2016 BIO International Convention in San Francisco. A video of his acceptance comments can be viewed here.
“Dr. Ohsumi’s curiosity led him to become the first person in the world to determine the molecular mechanism and regulation of autophagy, shedding light on one of the most basic functions of all living cells,” said Paul Stoffels, M.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Johnson & Johnson. “Dr. Ohsumi’s discoveries hold promise for better understanding, preventing and treating many diseases. It is with great pleasure that we celebrate his contributions, which remind us of the innovative spirit Dr. Paul brought to the lab every day.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7856351-2016-dr-paul-janssen-award-ohsumi/
The latest small overlap front crash test results from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reveal a range of performance among many of the best-selling small cars in the U.S. market. Of the 12 models evaluated, half earn a good or acceptable rating and qualify for the IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+ award.
The 2-door and 4-door models of the Honda Civic are the only small cars to earn the top rating of good in the test. IIHS evaluated the Civics earlier this year and released the results in March. The Dodge Dart, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra and 2014 model Scion tC earn acceptable ratings.
Now that spring is here, flooding will be a major concern for many parts of the country.
The Northeast and Midwest received an abundance of snow this winter. Boston alone received more than 108 inches, making 2014-2015 the snowiest season in the city’s history. Until the frozen ground thaws, melting snow and heavy rains cannot be absorbed and the excess water can overflow streams, rivers, and lakes. The average National Flood Insurance Program flood claim between 2010 and 2014 was more than $42,000. Without flood insurance, you could be left to carry the financial burden of flood damage.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7338651-iii-weather-flood-insurance/
Four-time PGA TOUR winner Tim Herron is teaming up with Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc., a subsidiary of Endo International plc (NASDAQ: ENDP), Damon Adamany, MD, of The CORE Institute and the Facts on Hand campaign to educate adults about one of the more common hand conditions. The campaign is raising awareness of Dupuytren’s Contracture, a progressive, potentially disfiguring hand condition affecting a layer of tissue underneath the palms that can cause one or more fingers to move into a bent position so they cannot be straightened.
Dupuytren’s Contracture, sometimes referred to as “Viking Disease,” can make everyday tasks difficult, such as grabbing an object at home, or in Tim Herron’s case, a nine iron from his golf bag. Many people live with the disease without being diagnosed because they mistakenly assume they have arthritis or another hand condition. And because Dupuytren’s Contracture may progress slowly, people may not pay attention to it until they can no longer straighten their fingers, complicating everyday activities.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8153851-endo-facts-on-hand-dupuytrens-contracture/
A new test program by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) rates the performance of front crash prevention systems to help consumers decide which features to consider and encourage automakers to speed adoption of the technology. The rating system is based on research by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) indicating that forward collision warning and automatic braking systems are helping drivers avoid front-to-rear crashes.
Wheels Up, the revolutionary membership-based private aviation company, officially unveiled the first-ever pink Beechcraft King Air 350i aircraft yesterday evening at the Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York, in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The event hosted by Kenny Dichter, Founder and CEO of Wheels Up, kicked off the #WheelsUpGoesPink campaign in support of the Company’s ongoing commitment to the Dubin Breast Center of The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai in New York City, one of the world’s most renowned and advanced facilities for breast cancer treatment and research.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7628751-wheels-up-pink-plane/
A group of four minivans recently tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for protection in small overlap front crashes shows some of the worst possible outcomes for this type of crash, with only one vehicle performing acceptably.
The Nissan Quest, the Chrysler Town & Country and its twin, the Dodge Grand Caravan, all earn poor ratings. The exception to the disappointing pattern is the 2015 Toyota Sienna, which earns an acceptable rating. It joins the Honda Odyssey, which last year earned a good rating in the test, in the ranks of TOP SAFETY PICK+ winners.
Only 1 minicar out of 11 tested achieves an acceptable rating in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's small overlap front crash test, making these tiny vehicles the worst performing group of any evaluated so far.
The Chevrolet Spark's acceptable rating in the test, along with good ratings in the Institute's four other crashworthiness evaluations, earns the new minicar a 2014 TOP SAFETY PICK award. The Spark was among the initial award winners announced in December. The new small overlap test results for the rest of the minicar group mean that no other models in this size category join the Spark in the winner's circle yet.
The Chevrolet Equinox and its twin, the GMC Terrain, are the only midsize SUVs out of nine evaluated to earn a good rating in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s small overlap front crash test, which continues to challenge manufacturers more than a year and a half after its introduction.
The Equinox and the Terrain qualify for the Institute’s highest award for 2014, TOP SAFETY PICK+. The Toyota Highlander, a midsize SUV whose acceptable small overlap rating was announced in December, also qualifies. The award is given to vehicles with a good or acceptable small overlap rating, good ratings in four other occupant protection tests, and a rating of basic or higher for front crash prevention.
Three other midsize SUVs in the test group rate poor for small overlap protection, and three are marginal.
