Why do car manufacturers always wait until after consumer reports and IIHS run crash tests before they make changes?

The design of cars has been improving and testing requirements change over the years. When they started stressing safety for the passengers over repair costs things changed. In the 1970's there was a government driven design requirement for repair costs in low speed accidents. Some time in the late 70's it became apparent that the prevention of loss of life should be more important then repair costs. As cars become safer from one impact- then the majority of deaths will be seen in a different type of accident. The latest impact tests are a result of this shift in fatal accidents. So cars designed for one set of tests will not do as well when the type of test is shifted. Take the latest report, the impact was for a different crash presentation. This shift has taken place simply because less people are dying in the previous "major cause" of death because the designs work. We need better drivers in the US, I am not faulting the need for safer cars. But that is not the final solution. We need a more rigorous training and licensing procedure that makes sure drivers drive instead of thinking that driving is a video game on wheels.

It is a SURPRISE about HONDA as they are FIERCE abut testing things out thoroughly! NOTHING GM DOES surprises me, they are ALL ABOUT PROFITS, STOCK HOLDER demands, and LOOKS and not about SAFETY orbest engine engineering! FORD has GREAT SAFE CARS that are tested out VERY WELL and you CANNOT GO WRONG with a GENUINE F|REAL EUROPEAN SUV! The AUDI Q5 is the HIGHEST RATED in all categories and it is made from SEVERAL LAYERS of the BEST BORON STEELS ANYWHERE! THey will NEVER RUST and are best in crash tests! THE EPITOME of FOOLISHNESS is the ASTRO VAN! IN crash tests it breaks ALL FOUR LEGS int he front seat, CRUSHES BOTH CHESTS and HEADS go through the windshield! GM is FAMOUS for adding AIR BAGS to POORLY TESTED UNSAFE VEHICLES and NOT designing the safety in to the WHOLE STRUCTURE! GM also took YEARS to figure out how to make ADEQUATE STEERING and how NOT to throw passengers through the WINDSHIELDS with BRAKE PROPORTIONER VALVES! Their ENGINES are also a TRAVESTY Most times, except for the NEW GEN CHEVY V8! THey STILL lack INSIGHT into how GREAT AUTOMOBILES are made and hardly ANY DOMESTIC CAR is a COLLECTOR CAR! IT is NO WONDER that GM went into bankruptcy! TOO MANY LAWSUITS! The HUMMER was a collection of BAD BOLTS and INEFFICIENT ENGINES and TRANNIES! About NINE MILES TO THE GALLON! I TRUST FORD< AUDI and BMW and BENZ FIRST! Even KIA and HYUNDAI todo better than GM DOES! The EQUINOX is just ANOTHER FAILURE from good ol GM! They should STILL GO DOWN! There only real good engine even is the ATLAS STRAIGHT SIX! BOW TIE BLIND people only see HP and that is all! There is MUCH MORE to a real GREAT CAR than HIGH POWERED ENGINES! The CAMARO is a SHOWROOM for DISASTER< with NO VISIBILITY< BAD seats, and head room, and LOUSY FUEL MILEAGE! YUCH! but GM people LOVE THEM and think they are SOO VERY GOOD! the engines are ALREADY HALF WAY into the CABIN! It is WORSE than the ASTRO VAN! BOW TIE BLIND!