Independent U.S. Insurance Group rates the Prius v & Camry lowest in Head On Collision Safety !

The safest vehicles are full-size pickups and SUVs (at least for the people inside them, not for the people they hit).

Given the difference if fuel economy, that puts a price tag of roughly $14 million on every life saved. This doesn't mean that the safety of small cars can't be improved, but criticizing a manufacturer for not doing well on a test that didn't exist when the car was designed is pure bloviating.

Numbers used: 42 mpg Prius v.; 16 mpg Pickup; 1.2 deaths/100 million passenger miles; risk of death in Prius twice that of risk of death in pickup, gas = $3.50/gallon

 

To be fair, it was a poor rating on the new, "off center" frontal crash.
While the fact that they scored poorly compared to many others should be a consideration, it shouldn't be used to hammer Toyota.
What will be most telling is how Toyota reacts and how much improvement we see.

 

don't txt and drive, especially in a Prius.

 

Look.
I have two motorcycles so lets just say that frontal crash safety isn't my overarching concern.

If you drive a Prius-sized car, with Prius-like efficiency, then you're going to get Prius-like crash safety ratings.
If fuel thriftiness and bunny hugging are the top turds on your pile of crap?
Consider a Prius.
If you're worried about being turned into a slurry on the interstate?
You may want to consider driving something else.

Statistically the Prius is a fairly safe car but statistically our government is on a sound fiscal path forward, and "statistically" parachuting isn't "dangerous."
Prius DRIVERS are probably a little older and a little safer than say....Camaro drivers so that helps the stats.
It's for sure that Prius drivers probably have a lower rate of drag racing accidents.

Priuses have a low center of gravity (they have a low everything!) so they're less likely to roll over if the driver gets distracted by his or her iPad mini and augers into a ditch. However (comma!) they're also more likely to be run over in a major crash by larger cars or SUV's.
Priuses have something like 10 air bags, ABS, and TC.....so they're about as safe as you can make a small low slung front driver.
Yeah, yeah. I know.
The government says it's a "mid-size." car, but that's based on interior volume...not crash worthiness.
Dimensionally it's a Corolla....and Sir Isaac Newton doesn't give a crap about whether the government classifies your car as big or small.
Like I always tell people......you KNOW you're going to get into an accident today and you have two cars in your driveway. Prius and Pickup.
Choose one.

Me?
I don't text, talk, watch movies, or sight-see when I drive.
I'm usually busy driving when I drive.
I feel about as safe in a Prius as I do in my Pickemuptruck (except in a Tropical Storm) and so I usually just keep the giveacrap switch in the "don't" position about crashes.

Makes the drive more pleasant......if you know what I mean.

 

Etc, the Prius in question is the Prius v, not the classic. And while there are many larger vehicles out there, and larger, heavier vehicles will always have the advantage of mass, in this particular test other similarly sized cars did better than the Toyota ones.

JMD, it is a new test, first year. Yes, disappointing for Toyota, but I won't hold it against them unless I see a lack of improvement. Of course, I am to in the market for a car right now either

 

I believe the Accord and Fusion didn't fail, so there is no excuse for the Camry failing. Prius is a lighter car, so maybe there is an excuse. How did the Civic do? Could it be that Honda is designing for occupant safety and Toyota is designing to the existing tests?

Mercedes does get the award for being a "bed wetting"©* denialist though. They surpassed the worst Prius fanboi

That's a shame, Mercedes used to the be the world leader in crash worthiness, they did it because it was the right thing to do, long before gumnt regulations

Note:
* Copyright held by ETC(SS), used without permission

 

The advantage of mass being that the center of mass of the two vehicles will end up slightly closer to where you were going, rather than where the other guy was going?

 

Nicely put.

 

It is still a Top Safety Pick for 2013
IIHS-HLDI: Toyota Prius v

 

FYI - All the vehicles you mentioned had designs made / modified ('13 Civic as an example) specifically for this new test. Toyota will probably follow suit soon I'd wager.

 

The passenger cabins of pickup trucks and SUVs with poor aerodynamics and higher ground clearance will naturally less likely to be damaged by the left front wheel asssembly as it is destroyed on impact. Drivers in light weight fuel efficient vehicles and vehicles with lower ground clearance are more likely to put at risk in this kind of crash scenario.

 

Not defending anyone, just advising that the poor on this test did not remove it from being a top safety pick nor did it remove the Camry. Thought that might be informative to "some".

 

The steering wheel did not come off. It moved to the right and did not allow the air bag to stop the drivers head and upper body.