thumb|250px|A crash test by the [[Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows the damage to a compact Ford Focus struck by a Ford Explorer SUV]]
thumb|Side impact NCAP test of a 2007 [[Saturn Outlook.]]
thumb|This NHTSA collision test shows what happens when a [[Volkswagen New Beetle slides sideways into a utility pole or a tree.]]
thumb|250px|Two cars are involved in a side collision at an intersection in [[Tokyo, Japan]]
A side collision, also called a T-bone accident, is a vehicle crash where the side of one or more vehicles is impacted. These crashes typically occur at intersections, in parking lots, and when two vehicles pass on a multi-lane roadway.
Occurrences and effects
A 2016 study found that, in the EU, side impact collisions were significantly less common than frontal impact collisions, at rates of 22-29% and 61-69% respectively. However, they tend to be much more dangerous.
Another report commissioned by the EU in 2015 found that side impacts accounted for roughly 35-40% of passenger fatality and serious injury, as opposed to 55% attributed to head-on collisions.
A likely contributor to this fact is the amount of protection offered by the struck vehicle. Even when equipped with the safest cars on the road, these casualties occurred at much lower speeds than in head-on collisions, with passenger fatality and serious injury typically occurring at 50 km/h (~31 mph) in side impact collisions, as opposed to 70 km/h (~43 mph) for frontal impacts.
For European motorcyclists, side impact is the second most frequent location of impact.
In European vehicle side impact, 60% of casualties were "struck side", while 40% were "non struck side", in 2018. The head and neck are involved in around 64% of the casualties. where heavier vehicles have lower fatality rates than lighter vehicles.
NHTSA and Euro NCAP also test the more severe vehicle-into-pole side impacts, where smaller vehicles have the same fatality rate as larger vehicles.
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Side airbags became mandatory in 2009 in the US, saving an estimated 1,000 lives per year.
Research indicates that the vehicle's underbody is the best place to reinforce structures to reduce intrusion by the pole.
General list of side impacts
thumb|A side collision in [[Toronto]]
These are lists of cars with notable aspects of side impact.
List of cars after 2011
The NHTSA results are evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration using Office of Crashworthiness Standards, New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) Side Impact Laboratory Test Procedure and Side Impact Rigid Pole Laboratory Test Procedure to display a simple star-rating. The "primary purpose of the NCAP side impact program is to provide comparative vehicle side protection information to assist consumers in making vehicle purchase decisions, thereby providing an incentive for vehicle manufacturers to design safer vehicles."
This list shows the most notable of newer tested vehicles tested via NHTSA and IIHS. Some provide good protection, some less so, and some developed improved safety in response to a low result (Dodge Ram and Fiat 500). Some are common examples of their type.<!--Production numbers show how common a model is-->
Sorted roughly by rating, Head injury criterion (HIC) and Crush.
<!-- Short table of most notable cars, by low/high risk and commonness -->
<!-- "Produced"=production numbers show how common a model is -->
<!-- As the list grows, consider spawning it to create lists for each type, such as Trucks, Sports cars, etc. and copy a representative entry to the main list -->
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Side impact safety of newer cars (from 2011–present), by NHTSA and IIHS. Click <> to sort by parameter.
! rowspan=2 | Year<br />
! rowspan=2 | Manufacturer
! rowspan=2 class="unsortable" | Model
! rowspan=2 class="unsortable" | Type
! rowspan=2 | Number<br />produced<br />
! colspan=3 | Impactor (MDB)<br />into Vehicle
! colspan=4 | Vehicle<br />into pole
! rowspan=2 class="unsortable" | Comment<br /> <!-- Dummy injuries & car damages (doors) -->
! rowspan=2 | <small>IIHS<br />side<br />rating</small> <!-- "green" is too dark; use "lightgreen" -->
! rowspan=2 | <small>Euro NCAP<br />side<br />rating</small>
|-
! <small>Maximum<br />Crush</small> || HIC<br /> || Rating<br /> || <small>Maximum<br />Crush</small> || HIC || <small>RLSA</small> || Rating
<!--copy template |-
| Year || Manufacturer || Model || Type || Produced || align=right | mm || align=right | || || align=right | mm || align=right | || align=right | g || || Comment - Dummy injuries & car damages -->
|-
| 2014 || || Jeep Wrangler || SUV || 1 million || align=right | mm || align=right | || || align=right | mm || align=right | || align=right | g || || || style="background: red"| Poor || Mid || || align=right | 202 mm || align=right | || || align=right | 392 mm || align=right | 1987 || align=right | 51 g || || Head injury criterion above threshold. || style="background: lightgreen"| Good ||
|-
| 2015 || Toyota || Hilux/Tacoma || Truck || 5+ million || align=right | 305 mm || align=right | 125+292 || || align=right | 516 mm || align=right | 451 || align=right | 57 g || ||
|-
| 2013 || Fiat || 500 || Supermini || 1+ million || align=right | 164 mm || align=right | 166+382 || || align=right | 354 mm || align=right | 224 || align=right | 54 g || || MDB: Pelvic force and pax RLSA within threshold. || style="background: lightgreen"| Good ||
|-
| 2012 || Fiat || 500 || Supermini || || align=right | 160 mm || align=right | 127+410 || || align=right | 354 mm || align=right | 224 || align=right | 54 g || Truck || || align=right | 365 mm || align=right | 16+30 || || align=right | 603 mm || align=right | 483 || align=right | 48 g || || All parameters within limits. <!--compare with F-150 --> || ||
|-
| 2011 || Dodge || Ram 1500 || Truck || || align=right | mm || align=right | || || align=right | 462 mm || align=right | 519|| align=right | 87 g || || Pole Test: Pelvic force and RLSA over threshold.
|-
| 2014 || Mercedes-Benz || E-Class || Sedan || || align=right | 129 mm || align=right | 92+244 || || align=right | 343 mm || align=right | 492 || align=right | 53 g || || Pole Test: Pelvic force 4770 N of a threshold of 5525 N
|-
| 2012 || Chrysler || Town & Country || Minivan || || align=right | 298 mm || align=right | 51+135 || || align=right | 389 mm || align=right | 294 || align=right | 47 g || || Pole Test: Pelvic force 3503 N of a threshold of 5525 N || style="background: lightgreen"| Good ||
|-
| 2014 || Audi || Q5 || CUV || || align=right | 188 mm || align=right | 59+166 || || align=right | 467 mm || align=right | 253 || align=right | 54 g || ||
|-
| 2011 || Volvo || XC60 || CUV || ½ million || align=right | 170 mm || align=right | 60+231 || || align=right | 462 mm || align=right | 242 || align=right | 45 g || ||
|}
<!--repeat WikiLinks as per exceptions for tables and images, to easily port content to other articles-->
Limits are: || style="background: red"| Poor || || Structure rated "Acceptable"
|-
| 2004 || Mitsubishi || Galant || Sedan || || || style="background: red"| Poor || || <small>2005 with airbag is Good at IIHS</small>
|-
| Year || Manufacturer || Model || Type || Produced || || style="background: lightgreen"| Good || || Comment
|}
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<!-- http://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-tesla-model-s-achieves-best-safety-rating-of-any-car-ever-tested-2013-8?r=US&IR=T&IR=T -->
See also
- Road collision types
- Side Impact Protection System (SIPS)
References
External links
- Side Impact Collision Images