Car safety ratings will now place more importance on the effectiveness of the passenger airbag.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which issues ratings for each car's safety, will add a new test to its routine.
This test is meant to simulate a car hitting a pole or tree on the passenger side. That will determine how well a passenger airbag works compared to one on the driver's side of the vehicle.
Ten of the 13 2017 and 2018 model year mid-sized cars passed the test with a good rating.
One car rated acceptable.
And two, the Volkswagen Passat and Chevrolet Malibu, received marginal ratings.
"The restraint system didn't do a good job of protecting the dummy's head from contacting the dash," explained Becky Mueller, senior research engineer at The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Cars will have to pass this new test to get the coveted top safety pick award from the organization.
That award and rating is something to look for the next time you buy a car and want to make sure its passenger airbag is just as safe as the driver's.
For more information on the test, click here.
