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Specific Safety Targets include:
* 5-Star rating in NHTSA NCAP and SINCAP test procedures
* "Good" ratings in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) front offset and Side Impact Crashworthiness Evaluation (SICE) and the seat/head restraint tests
* New FMVSS 301 rear collision standards implemented by the federal government for the 2007 model year
* Advanced control of intrusion into the passenger compartment during a side collision with an SUV
* Improved protection in the event of frontal collisions with larger vehicles
* Enhanced crash compatibility with smaller vehicles in a car-to-car collision compared to previous generation vehicles (see ACE Body Structure in Body section)
* Advanced protection for pedestrians in event of a collision (see Body section)
All new 2007 model year vehicles are required to meet the latest federal crash-performance regulations known as FMVSS 208 (frontal) and FMVSS 301 (rear) that phase in from September 2006.
Above and beyond these are key safety evaluation tests from NHTSA and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which are often referenced by customers but not required by law. For the CR-V, the engineering target was 5 Stars for the NHTSA tests and Good ratings for all IIHS tests - the best results possible.
This includes voluntary improvements in the IIHS ratings test called SICE, which limits the intrusiveness if hit by an SUV in a side collision. Finally, the CR-V adopts pedestrian head protection measures that are above and beyond NHTSA standards, which currently do not regulate this safety issue.
Advanced Dual Stage, Dual Threshold Front Driver's and Front Passenger's Airbags
The CR-V is equipped with dual-stage, dual-threshold supplemental restraint system (SRS) airbags for the driver and front passenger. These airbags are designed to minimize the potential for airbag injury while providing head and chest protection for the occupants in the event of a frontal collision. This front airbag system features front passenger seat weight sensors and a driver seat position sensor designed to further enhance occupant protection.
The CR-V's front airbags can deploy at one of two rates. Deployment of the driver's front airbag takes into account the severity of the crash, whether or not the driver's seat belt is fastened and the position of the driver's seat. During a lower speed collision, the airbag inflators are triggered in sequence, resulting in overall airbag deployment with less initial force. The same sequence is also utilized regardless of collision speed if the driver's seat is close to the full forward position.
During a higher speed collision, if the driver's seat is far from the full frontal position, both inflators operate simultaneously for full, immediate inflation. Airbag deployment on the front passenger's airbag is regulated by crash severity, seatbelt usage as well as the weight of the occupant. Sensors under the seat gauge occupant weight and if the total weight on the passenger seat is less than the NHTSA-specified MVSS specifications, the airbag system will not deploy, minimizing the potential for injury to children. Similar to what is available on the driver's side, the airbags are deployed at the speed appropriate to the speed and severity of the collision - slower for lower speed collisions, more quickly for higher speeds.
The driver's airbag is located in the steering wheel hub and the passenger's airbag is located on top of the dashboard. As in all Honda vehicles, the front passenger's airbag is designed to deploy upward toward the windshield and then back toward the occupant. This provides a large cushion to help protect the front passenger while reducing the likelihood of injury resulting from airbag deployment.
Driver's Front Side Airbag and Front Passenger's Side Airbag with Occupant Position Detection System
Every CR-V is equipped with seat-mounted front side airbags in the outboard sections of the backrests to help safeguard the driver and front passenger from side-impact injury. An innovative occupant position detection system is used to assure that the passenger's side airbag has a clear path for deployment. In the event a child (or a small-statured adult) leans into the deployment path of the side airbag, a seven-segment "antenna" system built within the backrest signals this condition to an electronic control unit (ECU) also located within the seat. The ECU then deactivates the side air bag from functioning and triggers a "SIDE AIRBAG OFF" indicator light in the instrument cluster. After the front occupant returns to a normal seating position, the side air bag module automatically resumes full-functional status.
Side Curtain Airbags
Both rows of occupants are protected by Honda's Side Curtain Airbag with Rollover Sensor system, which is standard equipment on all CR-V models. The side curtain airbags deploy from modules in the roof in the event of a sufficient side impact, providing a significant level of head protection in the window area. In the unlikely event of a rollover, a roll rate sensor and multiple G sensors determine the rate of roll and deploy the side curtain airbags accordingly.
Like the other airbag systems in the CR-V, the side curtain system utilizes multiple sensors to determine the most appropriate timing of deployment of the airbags in the event of a rollover. To provide the optimal level of protection for CR-V occupants, extensive testing was performed to determine the most appropriate timing of deployment in the event of a rollover. The system uses algorithms to continually evaluate the situation and determines whether a rollover is imminent. The system responds to many types of rollover "events" drivers could potentially encounter including the "curb trip rollover" which as its name suggests, results when one side of the vehicle hits a curb or like object; the "soil trip rollover" which can result when one side of the vehicles suddenly comes into contact with a different surface type, often involving a slight elevation change; and the "screw rollover." This type of rollover is usually the steepest and fastest of the rollovers whereby the vehicle comes upon a sharp angle such as an embankment.
The roll rate sensor and multiple G sensors determine the "scenario" and calculate the angle of roll and the speed of the vehicle in order to deploy the airbags at the correct stage for optimum protection. In the case of a rollover, the side curtain airbags on both sides of the vehicle will deploy. The airbags maintain full inflation for approximately three seconds after inflation to allow for the increased time duration of a rollover accident. However, in the event of a sufficient side impact that does not result in a rollover, only the airbags on the impacted side of the vehicle will deploy.
Active Front Seat Head Restraints
An innovative front seat active head restraint system is used that enhances the seat's ability to minimize the potential for neck injury from rear end collisions. The ability to manage rear collision forces to be relatively equal on the head, neck and spine is a key component to minimizing injuries. In the event of a rear collision, a person's body would be pushed against the seatback. The pressure from the seatback is transmitted mechanically from the lumbar plate via links that push the head restraint upward and forward to comparatively equalize the forces acting on the head, neck and spine at the same time as the collision.
Front Seatbelts with Pretensioners and Load Limiters
Both front seat belts have seat belt pretensioners and load limiters that work together to help protect the driver and front passenger in a collision. The components work automatically in a 1-2 sequence. In the first few milliseconds of a collision, the pretensioners automatically tighten the front seat belts. Research has shown that seat belts that are snugly secured around the occupants provide better protection. If the deceleration forces rise above a predetermined threshold, the load limiter releases a small length of seatbelt webbing to reduce the pressure on the occupant in a controlled manner. This helps reduce the injuries that seatbelts can cause in a severe high-speed collision.
LATCH System (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren)
The 2007 CR-V includes a LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) child-seat mounting system for all rear seat positions, allowing two outboard child seats to be installed or one center child seat to be installed. LATCH features built-in lower anchors and ready-to-use tether attachment points that allow compatible child safety seats to be installed without using the vehicle's seat belt system. Additionally, the LATCH system simplifies child seat installation when an owner installs a LATCH-compatible child seat.
2007 Honda CR-V #9
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