DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Before we went to Bill Richardson's testimony on Capitol Hill, we were about to bring you story on car safety. And the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has tested several new cars and SUVs. Our Carol Lin has that story for you now.</s>CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's own video of its crash test shows the Isuzu Rodeo has improved since it was tested in 1996, but still has a long way to go.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The 2000 Isuzu performs much better structurally. The compartment holds together well, but, unfortunately during this test, we recorded high forces on the dummy's head. As a result, this vehicle is still a poor performer.</s>LIN: The Isuzu was one of seven new vehicles the Institute rated to see if new cars are safer, by driving the vehicle into a wall at 40 miles per hour; the average speed on urban streets, where 81 percent of car crashes occur. The Institute was mainly looking to see how well car frames and bumpers protected passengers from injuries to the head, chest, and legs. The 2000 Toyota Avalon earned the Institute's "best pick" for an affordable midsize car, improving from a "marginal" rating to "good overall." Compare the 1996 test with this year's at the bottom of the screen. The front end collapses in both, but unlike the 1996 model, the 2000 model passenger compartment holds up better. On a scale from "poor" to "best pick," in the large family car category, the Ford Taurus got the Institute's "best pick." The 2000 Nissan Sentra was rated "acceptable" in the small car category. It fared well in protecting the head and neck from injury, but did poorly in protecting the legs. The Mazda MPV also got the middle grade of "acceptable" for passenger vans, rating well for protecting from injuries, but poor in bumper performance. The one new model tested? in the large luxury category, the Lincoln LS 2000 rated "good" in all categories, but the Institute is looking for better head and neck restraints. Carol Lin, CNN.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Tests New Cars and SUVs