The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has introduced a new whiplash test to determine how well a vehicle can prevent common head and neck injuries in a rear-end collision. In the first round of testing, only 4 out of 18 tested vehicles earned a top “Good” score, which shows that automakers have work to do to better prevent these kinds of injuries.
According to Consumer Reports, the new test simulates rear-end collisions at 20 mph and 30 mph. Researchers measure how well the seat absorbs the energy of the crash, whether the dummy’s head tilts so far up or down that it could cause injury, how long it takes for the back of the dummy’s head to contact the head restraint, and how much acceleration the top vertebra of the upper spine experiences.
Recommended Videos
According to the IIHS, whiplash-related neck sprains and strains remain the most common car crash-related injuries in the U.S. Although the IIHS plans to test more vehicles, the first round included 18 popular compact SUVs.
Small SUVs with the best and worst whiplash protection
Vehicles that earned a top “Good” score in the new whiplash prevention test were the 2025 Audi Q3, 2025-26 Hyundai Ioniq 5, 2025-26 Subaru Forester, and 2025 Toyota RAV4.
According to the IIHS, researchers observed that the seat and head restraints in these vehicles kept the head and spine in alignment, that the head did not move much relative to the spine, and that the cervical spine—the upper seven vertebrae—retained its natural curve.
“We don’t yet fully understand the mechanisms that cause whiplash injuries,” said Marcy Edwards, an IIHS senior research engineer who developed the new tests. “But our research makes us confident that reducing these types of movements and stresses should cut down on whiplash injuries in the real world.”
Vehicles that earned an “Acceptable” score were the 2025-26 Buick Encore GX, 2025-26 Chevrolet Equinox, 2024-25 Honda CR-V, 2025-26 Jeep Compass, 2025-26 Kia Sportage, 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLB, 2025-26 Mitsubishi Outlander, 2025-26 Volkswagen Taos, and 2025-26 Volvo XC40.
The 2025 BMW X1 and 2025-26 Nissan Rogue earned “Marginal” scores.
The 2025-26 Ford Bronco Sport, 2025-26 Hyundai Tucson, and 2025-26 Mazda CX-50 earned the lowest score of “Poor.”
In the lowest-rated vehicles, the dummy’s head moved a great deal relative to the spine, and the cervical vertebrae stretched and straightened during the crash. For example, the Tucson’s head restraint pushed the chin down toward the chest, and the CX-50’s allowed the head to slide backward and upward. The Bronco Sport provided particularly poor support for the head and spine, and it took a long time for the dummy’s head to contact the head restraint.