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The 2008 Honda Accord received a 5-star frontal crash
safety rating
from the National Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) of the US
Department of Transportation. The NHTSA is responsible for setting
safety standards and verifying compliance of these by automobile
manufacturers.
With the use of crash-test
dummies to identify impact on passengers during frontal collisions,
the NHTSA determines the likelihood of head and chest injuries to
the driver and front passenger by issuing star ratings. A 5-star
rating is the highest, representing a 10-percent or less chance of a
serious injury.
The latest Accord was also named
as the 2008 Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety (IIHS), an independent, nonprofit, research and
communications organization in the US that’s dedicated to reducing
highway crash injuries, deaths and property damages. The award is a
result of the IIHS’ extensive front, side and rear crash test
evaluations.
In developing and enhancing
safety designs and technologies, Honda operates two of the most
advanced crash-test laboratories in the world. Its development
center in Tochigi, Japan, houses the carmaker’s research equipment
and indoor car-to-car crash testing facility. For its part, the
Honda R&D America’s center in Ohio, US, performs advanced
testing on all models that are developed for the North American
market. It allows speedy crash-test simulations with certain safety
components like seats and seatbelts before conducting a crash test
with an actual vehicle. The facility also enables accurate
measurement of the distribution of load impact on the vehicle. These
two laboratories aid Honda in creating advanced vehicle designs for
occupant and pedestrian safety.
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