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CNN Live Today

Insurance Institute CEO Discusses Minivan Crash Data

Aired March 13, 2002 - 10:40   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: If you're in the market for a new car or you are just concerned about safety, there are some new crash test results for you to consider this morning. The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety says that in low-speed crash tests, some new cars out there didn't do very well. The new Mitsubishi Lancer didn't do very well. You see that one there. And that's the Kia Sedona.

In fact, Adrian Lund, who is the chief operating officer for the Insurance Institute says that the Sedona was actually the worst minivan ever tested.

Is that correct?

He's joining us now live

Adrian Lund, good morning.

ADRIAN LUND, INSURANCE INSTITUTE OF HIGHWAY SAFETY: Good morning.

Yes, that is correct. The Kia Sedona was quite a surprise. In a 5 mph front-end-to-flat-barrier test -- that's just a fast walking speed -- the air bags deployed. That shouldn't happen in a low speed crash.

HARRIS: Wait a second: The air bags deployed when it hit something at 5 mph?

LUND: At 5 mph, the airbags deployed. It caused, obviously, a substantial amount of damage, more than $4,300 in damage in this flat- barrier test.

HARRIS: Oh, my goodness. Let me ask you about another car. I see one here listed with some remarks about it -- that this may surprise people -- the Volvo S40. You say that car didn't do very well?

LUND: It didn't do well either. We tested three new small cars, and the best performer didn't do well: The Subaru Impreza sustained more than $2,500 in damage in our 4, 5 mph bumper test.

HARRIS: I think that's one we're looking at right now. That is the Subaru there?

LUND: Yes, that is it.

HARRIS: You say it incurred how? You said $2,500?

LUND: That's correct. It had more than $2,500 damage in just 4, 5 mph crash tests.

HARRIS: Good grief.

Well, was there any good news?

LUND: In this group, there really wasn't. Among the three small cars, the Subaru Impreza was the best performer. The other two -- the Volvo S40 and the Mitsubishi Lancer -- each sustained more than $3,000 in damage in those same four tests. But the worst performer was the Kia Sedona, with more than $9,700 in damage.

HARRIS: How about with SUVs?

LUND: SUVs as a group tend not to do well either, but we haven't tested any in this group of vehicles, just the three small cars and the minivans.

HARRIS: Just the small cars and the minivans.

That's interesting. So you say the Subaru was the best of the bunch, and it came up with $2,500 worth of damage?

LUND: That's right. And you can compare that. This isn't brain surgery to make a car that can protect itself in a low-speed crash. The 1998 Volkswagen new Beetle that we tested two years ago sustained only $200 damage in these same four tests.

So manufacturers can do it; they are just not paying enough attention to the damage that happens in the real world.

HARRIS: Would you said that Volkswagen result was the best you guys ever had?

LUND: We have had very few that good, but that's about the best; it's as good as it gets.

HARRIS: So somewhere between the Volkswagen and the Kia Sedona is where the rest of us want to be. Boy, that's interesting.

Adrian Lund, thank you very much. And where can folks get those results for all the testing that you did.

LUND: You can see those results on our Web site, which is www.highwaysafety.org.

HARRIS: Adrian Lund, thank you very much, appreciate the advice today, have a good one.

LUND: Thank you.

HARRIS: And drive safely. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com