These are the Federal Government crashing head on into a solid barrier at 35 MPH tests (not the Insurance Institute frontal offset test into a solid barrier at 40 MPH). The Avalanche crashed was a 1500 4WD model (say it isn't so!). It appears in the picture of the test to be a Forest Green Z-71. One thing not indicated or clear is whether the Avalanche was equipped with front bucket or a front bench seat.
The Avalanche received 3 stars for front driver and 4 starts for front passenger. Roll over and side impact have yet to be evaluated.
What does that mean? It means the driver has a 21% to 35% chance of having a serious injury and the passenger has an 11% to 20% chance of having a serious injury. Looking over the data the lowered results are clearly from the femur loads (amount of stress placed on the long leg bones). A rating of 1,605 on the driver's left leg is very high.
It does appear in the picture that the cabin held together well (don't see roof buckling). I don't know if the femur load is coming from poor seat belt design (causing the driver to slide down) or from cabin intrusion (dash board collapse, floor buckling, or the steering column bending and coming down on the leg).
Chest deceleration (amount of g' forces on the body) and head injury risk were all within the normal range of what would be considered safe vehicles (although head injury numbers could be just a tad lower).
Interesting the maligned "death seat" does not seem to be the case in the Avalanche, with the passenger fairing better in all scores.
You can see the rest results yourself:
http://www.nhtsa.gov/NCAP/Cars/2012.html
The Avalanche received 3 stars for front driver and 4 starts for front passenger. Roll over and side impact have yet to be evaluated.
What does that mean? It means the driver has a 21% to 35% chance of having a serious injury and the passenger has an 11% to 20% chance of having a serious injury. Looking over the data the lowered results are clearly from the femur loads (amount of stress placed on the long leg bones). A rating of 1,605 on the driver's left leg is very high.
It does appear in the picture that the cabin held together well (don't see roof buckling). I don't know if the femur load is coming from poor seat belt design (causing the driver to slide down) or from cabin intrusion (dash board collapse, floor buckling, or the steering column bending and coming down on the leg).
Chest deceleration (amount of g' forces on the body) and head injury risk were all within the normal range of what would be considered safe vehicles (although head injury numbers could be just a tad lower).
Interesting the maligned "death seat" does not seem to be the case in the Avalanche, with the passenger fairing better in all scores.
You can see the rest results yourself:
http://www.nhtsa.gov/NCAP/Cars/2012.html