Tests show G-force increase

Crash tests have revealed that a Honda Fit repaired outside of OEM parameters exerted higher G-forces and increased Head Injury Criterion (HIC) scores than a ‘control’ Honda Fit.

The data from attorney Todd Tracy’s testing at Karco Engineering follows a ruling by Dallas County jury which found John Eagle Collision Center failed to follow OEM repair procedures on a 2009 Honda Fit which was subsequently involved in a collision causing its occupants to be trapped. The ‘failure’ of the repair was namely the bonding of the roof panel rather than the use of the OEM specified welding procedure.

According to Repairer Driven News, the crash test dummy in the control 2010 Fit posted a Head Injury Criterion (HIC) score of 282.6 during a 40mph moderate-overlap crash test. That came in lower than scores of 332.4 on a 2013 Fit repaired with multiple aftermarket parts and 427.4 on a 2009 Fit sporting an aftermarket windshield and non-OEM repairs similar to the Fit owned by Tracy’s clients.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) results from 40mph moderate-overlap crash testing of a 2009 Fit saw a HIC of 264, earning the car a ‘good’ rating for head/neck injuries. Honda’s own moderate-overlap crash test produced a 335 HIC, according to the IIHS.

HIC is just one variable of many measured during the test. Further data is set to follow.

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