A driver is in greater danger of brain injury in the crash of a Chevrolet G-20 van than in any other vehicle tested by the government this year.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Tuesday a 35 mph crash test of the G-20 resulted in a head-injury criterion of 3665. The criterion is an index measuring the potential for brain injury.The General Motors Corp. van was crashed head-on into a fixed barrier, and the criterion was calculated from recordings made by an instrument-equipped dummy wearing a safety belt.
The Chevrolet Astro Van test produced a driver's head-injury criterion of 1603; the Ford F-150 pickup, 1074; the Nissan Van XE, 949; and the Chevrolet C-1500 pickup, 892.
NHTSA earlier this year said the Volkswagen Vanagon produced a head-injury criteron of 1320 on the driver side.
The agency also released results showing the Nissan Pulsar NX produced a head-injury criterion of 1134, higher than that of any other 1988 subcompact car tested so far.
The agency earlier tested three other 1988 subcompacts. The Volkswagen Fox produced a head-injury criterion of 1114; the Toyota Tercel, 1005; and the Toyota Corolla FX, 593.
The tests were conducted at 5 mph faster than the 30 mph required by law. The higher speed produces a crash that is one-third more severe than at the lower speed, NHTSA said.
At 30 mph, 1000 is the highest head-injury criterion permitted.
Only one vehicle of a given type is tested, and further testing could produce different results, NHTSA said.