Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
Institute Picks Safest Cars
Aired December 10, 2002 - 13:46 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, five cars are giving government safety regulators something to smile about. All of them performed well in a 40 mile per hour front-end collision testing. That's the first time that has ever happened. Reporter Julie Vallese joins us from Ruckersville, Virginia where the testing took place -- hi, Julie.
JULIE VALLESE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra. The Insurance Institute, an independent safety company, has just tested five of the most popular vehicles on the road. They also happen to be five of the safest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VALLESE (voice-over): Three mid--sized cars and two small cars went up against the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's wall at 40 miles per hour. All five won. It's an institute first.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the first time we've ever had an release where all cars we tested were good performers and best picks.
VALLESE: The nation's top selling car, the Honda Accord, has been newly redesigned for 2003. In the past, it was rated acceptable. It's now rated a best pick.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's no question Honda has worked to improve the offset crash performance of this vehicle, and they succeeded.
VALLESE: It was the first time Audi's A4 was tested, and the first time was the charm. It also won top honors. In the small car category, BMW's Mini was mighty.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Its front end is very stiff, but the compartment is even stiffer, so it bounces off the barrier pretty good.
VALLESE: Researchers measure intrusion into the passenger compartment, injury to the dummy, as well as the performance of air bags and seat belts.
In a statement, BMW said, "These results prove that small cars can be engineered to be safe and to provide excellent occupant protection. The Toyota Corolla and the newly introduced Suzuki Aerio were also named best picks.
While these mid-sized and small vehicles did very well, safety experts are not abandoning that advice that bigger is still safer, because they say even manufacturers can't change the laws of physics.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VALLESE: Now, when these vehicles test poorly, manufacturers often point out that they feel that the tests don't reflect the situations in the real world. In talking to the manufacturers, none of them mentioned the real world. Instead, they were happy to have the institute's praise -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Julie Vallese, thank you so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 10, 2002 - 13:46 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, five cars are giving government safety regulators something to smile about. All of them performed well in a 40 mile per hour front-end collision testing. That's the first time that has ever happened. Reporter Julie Vallese joins us from Ruckersville, Virginia where the testing took place -- hi, Julie.
JULIE VALLESE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra. The Insurance Institute, an independent safety company, has just tested five of the most popular vehicles on the road. They also happen to be five of the safest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VALLESE (voice-over): Three mid--sized cars and two small cars went up against the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's wall at 40 miles per hour. All five won. It's an institute first.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the first time we've ever had an release where all cars we tested were good performers and best picks.
VALLESE: The nation's top selling car, the Honda Accord, has been newly redesigned for 2003. In the past, it was rated acceptable. It's now rated a best pick.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's no question Honda has worked to improve the offset crash performance of this vehicle, and they succeeded.
VALLESE: It was the first time Audi's A4 was tested, and the first time was the charm. It also won top honors. In the small car category, BMW's Mini was mighty.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Its front end is very stiff, but the compartment is even stiffer, so it bounces off the barrier pretty good.
VALLESE: Researchers measure intrusion into the passenger compartment, injury to the dummy, as well as the performance of air bags and seat belts.
In a statement, BMW said, "These results prove that small cars can be engineered to be safe and to provide excellent occupant protection. The Toyota Corolla and the newly introduced Suzuki Aerio were also named best picks.
While these mid-sized and small vehicles did very well, safety experts are not abandoning that advice that bigger is still safer, because they say even manufacturers can't change the laws of physics.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VALLESE: Now, when these vehicles test poorly, manufacturers often point out that they feel that the tests don't reflect the situations in the real world. In talking to the manufacturers, none of them mentioned the real world. Instead, they were happy to have the institute's praise -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right. Julie Vallese, thank you so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
