Subaru Forester Earns An Additional IIHS Safety Award
Subaru has earned more IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK + awards in the previous decade than any other brand. While IIHS is mainly known for its impact tests, they also test the effectiveness of crash prevention technologies. Ewing Subaru of Plano is proud to announce that in addition to being a TOP SAFETY PICK, IIHS announced this past July that the 2024 Forester earned a “Superior” in their rear crash prevention test.
“Safety is at the heart of every Subaru vehicle, and I’m proud our Forester excelled in this test by the IIHS.” says Jeff Walters, President and Chief Operating Officer, Subaru of America, Inc. “Our vehicles are designed to not only keep occupants and nearby pedestrians safe but also to stay on the road longer and avoid costly repairs for our owners.”
What is the Rear Crash Prevention Test?
Rear impact prevention technologies started emerging in the mid-2010s, prompting IIHS to begin testing the systems in 2018. Rear warning and automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems are evaluated using three tests, with two using a passenger vehicle target with different approach angles and the third test using a bollard as the target, which represents a pole or a pillar that could be found in a private or commercial garage. There are 24 test runs before an evaluation is determined. Each test is conducted at four mph, with some scenarios weighted more heavily than others. Systems are scored based on the number of runs that either avoid the target or reduce speeds to slower than one mph before hitting it.
Vehicles equipped only with rear parking sensors and/or rear cross-traffic alerts earn a “Basic” rating. Models equipped with automatic rear braking, like the Forester, which can apply the brakes on their own when a rear object is detected, can earn “Advanced” or “Superior” ratings when found effective, the last of which is the highest achievable rating.
Rear Impacts Can be Costly
Though the rear Cross-Traffic Alert system can warn of a potential injury-causing impact if the other vehicle has a high enough velocity, most rear impacts occur at low speed into a fixed object. These don’t usually result in serious injury, but they can result in thousands of dollars in damage. Nearly 30% of collision claims in 2022 were for rear points of impact costing more than $4,000, according to figures from the IIHS-affiliated Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI).
“The rear AEB evaluation is designed to test how well these systems prevent the most common backing crashes.” said David Aylor, Vice President of Active Safety, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: “These are challenging scenarios in which a pole or another vehicle is behind you and off to the side. Meanwhile, you are backing up and sometimes turning at the same time.”
Part of the EyeSight® System
Rear Automatic braking is one of the features found within the Forester’s EyeSight® Driver Assist safety technology system, which also includes safety features such as Blind-Spot Detection with Lane Change Assist, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, and the DriverFocus® Distraction Mitigation System.
Safety is just one reason to choose the Forster for your next compact crossover, but it’s a good one. See all the other reasons at Ewing Subaru of Plano, where, as of this writing, we have over 40 new Forester models for you to shop.
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