2011 BMW 5 Series Approved by IIHS
The American Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) announced the results of their tests on the 2011 BMW 5-series.
They gave the car the ‘Top Safety Pick” certification which means it has achieved highest score in all the tests. It is the equivalent of NCAP’s five-star safety rating.
BMW 5er scored “Good” (which is the highest) in frontal, rear and side impact as well as the rollover test, which is a new test for measuring the strength of the roof. Before the 5 series, BMW 3 series, X3 and X5 had also managed to pass these tests and be recognized as a Top Safety Pick.
The Institute rates vehicles “Good,” “Acceptable,” “Marginal” or “Poor” based on performance in high-speed Frontal Offset and Side Impact crash tests as well as an evaluation of the vehicle’s Rear Crash Protection/Head Restraints, which protect against neck injuries in rear impact crashes. A stringent new Roof Strength test was added in 2009. In order for a vehicle to become a Top Safety Pick, it must earn “Good” ratings in all four Institute tests.
Additionally, as of 2007, winning vehicles must also offer electronic stability control – a standard feature on all BMW vehicles since model year 2000, known as Dynamic Stability Control. The IIHS requires this feature based on Institute research indicating that stability control significantly reduces crash risk, especially the risk of fatal single vehicle crashes, by helping drivers maintain control of their vehicles during emergency maneuvers.
