Vehicles Vulnerable to Rear-end Collisions

Dan Friedman

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In recent tests, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave only one car, the Kia Optima, a passing grade in rear-end collisions.

In rear-end tests, two popular cars, the Toyota Camry and the Dodge Caliber, were rated marginal, the second-lowest of four possible scores given by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. All six models that the insurance institute tested most recently earned at least an acceptable rating in frontal tests, but only the Kia Optima, a midsize sedan, was given a passing grade in rear-end crashes.

Rear-end impacts are the most common type of accident but have not received as much attention from carmakers as frontal and side crashes, which result in more serious injuries and fatalities. Still, rear-end accidents are responsible for most of the two million insurance claims a year that involve minor neck injuries.