Korean Car Manufactuers Challenge Credibility of U.S. Highway Safety Survey
Korean automakers expressed doubt over a U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) survey that ranked some of the Korean cars being sold in the United States low in terms of driver safety during accidents.
The survey, released on the institute’s website indicated drivers of Kia Motors’ compact Rio and sport utility vehicle Sportage and Hyundai Motor’s compact Accent face a high risk of death in traffic accidents.
The survey said drivers of General Motor’s SUV Blazer are at the highest risk of death. About 308 Blazer drivers per 1 million would die if their cars were involved in accidents. The figures for Hyundai’s Accent drivers were 150 per 1 million and Elantra 88 per 1 million, while the average death rate for all vehicles was 87 per 1 million.
Hyundai and Kia claimed the survey lacks credibility because it only considers the number of accidents and the drivers who died.
Hyundai Motor officials said the IIHS should have been more careful in conducting the driver safety survey because accidents occur under many different situations. Owners of luxury sedans that have better safety features than small cars are less liable to die during crashes, but the IIHS didn’t take that matter into account.
After the IIHS released its survey, General Motors also released a statement questioning the credibility of the survey.
The institute, funded by auto insurers in the U.S., conducts various traffic-related surveys, particularly on crashes on the U.S. highways.
The survey, released on the institute’s website indicated drivers of Kia Motors’ compact Rio and sport utility vehicle Sportage and Hyundai Motor’s compact Accent face a high risk of death in traffic accidents.
The survey said drivers of General Motor’s SUV Blazer are at the highest risk of death. About 308 Blazer drivers per 1 million would die if their cars were involved in accidents. The figures for Hyundai’s Accent drivers were 150 per 1 million and Elantra 88 per 1 million, while the average death rate for all vehicles was 87 per 1 million.
Hyundai and Kia claimed the survey lacks credibility because it only considers the number of accidents and the drivers who died.
Hyundai Motor officials said the IIHS should have been more careful in conducting the driver safety survey because accidents occur under many different situations. Owners of luxury sedans that have better safety features than small cars are less liable to die during crashes, but the IIHS didn’t take that matter into account.
After the IIHS released its survey, General Motors also released a statement questioning the credibility of the survey.
The institute, funded by auto insurers in the U.S., conducts various traffic-related surveys, particularly on crashes on the U.S. highways.
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