Side

The side test represents a T-bone crash in which a typical modern SUV smashes into the driver side of another vehicle. The test was updated in 2021 with a more severe crash and more realistic striking rig.

Overhead view of the test configuration Diagram of a real-world side impact crash
Overhead view of the test and the real-world scenario it is based on

How the test is run

  • A 4,200-pound striking rig, known as the moving deformable barrier, with the approximate height of the front bumper and grille of a modern SUV hits the driver side of the test vehicle at 37 mph.
  • The rig is equipped with a deformable honeycomb surface that bends around the B-pillar between the front and rear doors like the front end of a real SUV.
  • A SID-IIs dummy the size of a small woman or 12-year-old child is belted in the driver seat, and another is belted in the second row behind the driver.
Barrier image
The striking rig used in the side test
The dummies in pre-crash position

How vehicles are evaluated

  • We measure intrusion into the occupant compartment at key locations.
  • Sensors in the head, neck, torso and pelvis of the dummies record injury risk.
  • High-speed film and greasepaint help us see whether the dummies’ heads contacted or came near any hard parts of the vehicle or the barrier. If the vehicle’s airbags and seat belts perform correctly, the only place the paint should end up is on the airbags.
Measuring intrusion
An IIHS engineer measuring intrusion
Greasepaint on airbags
Greasepaint evidence of where the dummies made contact with the side airbags

Updated side test protocol and technical information

For details on other tests we conduct, visit the About our tests page.