We can talk about safety in the race car all day and people will listen. However, the thought of safest vehicles for the family doesn’t hold nearly as much weight. In most cases, consumers have replaced safety ratings for a vehicle’s physical size and looks instead. So, while you made sure to install a roll cage in your race car and purchased the proper HANS device, helmet, and fire suit, the ride to the strip could have worse consequences in a crash than at the race track. Thankfully, Ford Motor Company has a vision to keep your family safe and recently won the Top Safety Pick+ from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety on the 2022 Ford Explorer and Ford Bronco Sport.
The IIHS test includes drive- and passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints. Ford sacrificed a few models and were able to qualify and earn the Top Safety Pick+ by earning superior ratings in vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian crashes. While the vehicle-to-pedestrian seems like an easy win, the test is actually for the vehicle’s automatic emergency braking system that can detect pedestrians in the roadway during daytime or well-lit areas.
Ford also won Top Safety Pick, sans-plus, for the Mustang Mach-E, Edge, Escape, F-150 crew cab, and F-150 extended cab. These tests still provide ample crash safety, but do not include the vehicle-to-vehicle or vehicle-to-pedestrian tests required to earn the Top Safety Pick+.
While a lot of us wish we could weld in a 25.3 cage and require our kids or spouses to wear helmets when driving, it’s simply not feasible. What we can do is make sure the manufacturer has done their homework and created the safest possible options. Aside from that, don’t forget the 2022 Ford Explorer also has an ST variant for those….spirited drives.
Source: Ford Muscle
