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	VOLVO C70 is a top performer in crash tests
	ARLINGTON, VA —The Volvo C70 earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s TOP SAFETY PICK award for superior crash protection in the first tests the Institute has conducted of 10 midsize convertible models. The Volvo C70 earned the top rating of good for protection in front, side, and rear crashes. The C70 included standard electronic stability control (ESC), which research shows can help drivers avoid crashes. The lowest rated convertible model overall is the Pontiac G6 (see attached ratings). It is acceptable for frontal crash protection but only marginal for protection in side and rear impacts. While the Audi A4 and BMW 3 series earn good ratings in frontal offset tests, both are rated marginal for side impact protection and poor for protection in rear crashes.
	The TOP SAFETY PICK designation is intended to make it easier for consumers to find top-rated vehicles without sorting through reams of crash test results. To earn this award, a vehicle must have good ratings in all 3 Institute crash tests. It also must have ESC. The Institute adds a requirement for convertibles, which must be equipped with rollbars designed to preserve occupants’ headroom if a convertible rolls over. The C70 is equipped with standard pop-up rollbars behind the rear head restraints that deploy if sensors detect a serious crash. “The performance of the C70 is impressive,” says Institute president Adrian Lund. “It combines what convertible buyers should look for if they’re shopping with safety in mind. The Volvo C70 not only provides good protection in high-speed front and side crashes but it also has good seat and head restraint designs for protecting against whiplash in rear crashes.” “We wanted to test convertibles because sales are increasing,” Lund says. “We also wanted to evaluate a group of vehicles that automakers wouldn’t expect us to test to see if crashworthiness improvements in mainstream cars also are being built into convertibles. For the most part we found that this is happening.” Five models earn the highest rating of good for front and side crash protection. Seven of the 10 convertibles have standard side airbags designed to protect the heads of occupants in the front seats, and 8 have ESC as standard or optional equipment. Absence of roof is inherent disadvantage: High-speed crashes are violent events, and the roof of a hardtop helps to keep people’s heads and arms from flailing outside the vehicle. Roofs also provide protection if a vehicle rolls over. Data from real-world crashes indicate that the overall risk of death isn’t higher in a convertible, but this doesn’t mean there aren’t any safety disadvantages. The absence of a roof makes it a challenge to design a convertible for safety. The roof helps to maintain the rigidity of the structure around the occupant compartment and keep the compartment intact in a serious crash. The main structures of convertibles have to be strengthened to compensate for the support that’s lost in removing the roof. The Institute’s crash test results show that many modern convertibles compensate well.