What’s New: In Brief (May 27, 2008)

The newly redesigned 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan has received an overall evaluation of “good” from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
The vehicle received a “good” rating for its structure/safety cage and restraints during front crash tests, says the IIHS.
During side impact tests with standard side airbags, measures taken from the dummy indicate a low risk of significant injuries in a crash for both the driver and the rear passenger.
But in rear crash tests, the vehicle received an overall “marginal” rating. While the seat/head restraints were rated “good,” the minivan received a “marginal” rating during the dynamic rear crash simulation.
The dynamic test simulates the forces in a stationary vehicle that’s rear-ended by another vehicle of the same weight going 20 mph.

Thomas F. Motamed will succeed Stephen W. Lilienthal as the chairman and CEO of CNA Financial Corporation following Lilienthal’s retirement on June 8, 2009.
Motamed is currently the vice chairman and chief underwriting officer of The Chubb Corporation and president and COO of Chubb & Son, a CNA release says. He has worked with Chubb for 31 years.
“I am pleased with the enormous progress the CNA team has made and I look forward to continuing this work over the next year,” Lilienthal said. “It has been an honour to lead CNA, and as I look toward retirement, I am pleased we have found a successor of Tom’s calibre.”