Applies to 1997-2002 models
| Overall evaluation | A |
|---|
| Structure and safety cage | A |
|---|
| Injury measures |
|---|
| Head/neck | G |
| Chest | G |
| Leg/foot, left | G |
| Leg/foot, right | P |
| Restraints and dummy kinematics | G |
|---|
| Important: Frontal crash test ratings should be compared only among vehicles of similar weight.
|
The Ford Escort and Mercury Tracer were redesigned for the 1997 model year. Note: 2001-02 model Escort sedans were sold when new only to fleets, and the Tracer was discontinued after the 1999 model year.
Injury measures
Measures taken from the head, neck, chest, and right leg indicate low risk of injuries to these body regions in a crash of this severity. Forces on the right tibia indicate that injuries to the lower leg would be likely. Head acceleration from the B-pillar hit was low.
Restraints and dummy kinematics
Dummy movement was well controlled. During rebound, the dummy's head hit the B-pillar.
Tested vehicle specifications
| Tested vehicle | 1997 Ford Escort LX 4-door |
| Weight | 2,538 lbs. |
| Side airbags | none |
| Wheelbase | 98 in. |
| Length | 174 in. |
| Width | 66 in. |
| Engine | 2.0 L 4-cylinder |
| EPA ratings | 26 mpg city / 34 mpg highway |
How this test is conducted
Measures of occcupant compartment intrusion on driver side
| Test ID | CF97016 |
|---|
| Footwell intrusion |
|---|
| Footrest (cm) | 22 |
| Left (cm) | 26 |
| Center (cm) | 26 |
| Right (cm) | 18 |
| Brake pedal (cm) | 16 |
|---|
| Instrument panel rearward movement |
|---|
| Left (cm) | 8 |
| Right (cm) | 4 |
| Steering column movement |
|---|
| Upward (cm) | 2 |
| Rearward (cm) | -2 |
| A-pillar rearward movement (cm) | 6 |
|---|
Driver injury measures
| Test ID | CF97016 |
|---|
| Head |
|---|
| HIC-15 | 457 |
| Peak gs at hard contact | 58 |
| Neck |
|---|
| Tension (kN) | 1.6 |
| Extension bending moment (Nm) | 19 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.28 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 42 |
|---|
| Legs |
|---|
| Femur
force - left
(kN) | 3.2 |
| Femur
force - right
(kN) | 3.5 |
| Knee
displacement - left
(mm) | 0 |
| Knee displacement - right (mm) | 0 |
| Maximum
tibia
index - left | 0.31 |
| Maximum
tibia
index - right | 1.42 |
| Tibia axial
force - left
(kN) | 1.4 |
| Tibia axial
force - right
(kN) | 5.1 |
| Foot acceleration (g) |
|---|
| Left | 54 |
| Right | 101 |