Car safety ratings: who to trust and what they mean
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When looking for a new or used car, safety plays an important role in the decision. Luckily, you have a choice of agencies that rate vehicles for safety according to a variety of factors, including…
When looking for a new or used car, safety plays an important role in the decision. Fortunately, you have a number of agencies that rate vehicle safety according to various factors, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and Consumer Reports, which combines the NHTSA and IIHS ratings. to develop their recommendations.
Most car safety rating organizations include a wide range of data in their tests, including frontal collision avoidance, lock and booster seat ratings, and information about the large array of safety features that come with most new cars. Some sites, such as JD Power, combine ratings from different organizations to come up with their own conclusions about vehicle safety.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
The government agency NHTSA created the 5-Star Safety Assessment Program with the support of the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) to provide US consumers with rollover safety and crash protection data for new vehicles. This way, consumers can compare available safety ratings to help them when buying a car.
Initially focused on front crash test data, the NHTSA vehicle safety ratings have expanded to include side impact data, rollover resistance and now take into account any safety technology the vehicle is using. With ratings available on SaferCar, the rating system was launched in 1978 and provides a good resource for parents looking for vehicles that are safe for their children or for teens to drive when they start driving.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
IIHS ratings represent two different safety characteristics, including crash avoidance and mitigation technologies, and how well a vehicle protects its occupants in the event of a crash, also known as crashworthiness. For crashworthiness, the IIHS uses a four-point rating system, including "poor", "marginal", "acceptable" and "good" ratings, for five tests: moderate overlap front, slight overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints.
To prevent and mitigate collisions, the IIHS conducts track tests and rates vehicles with forward collision avoidance systems on a rating scale that includes Basic, Advanced or Superior. The IIHS also advises parents on safe vehicles for teen drivers, the best child restraint equipment, and booster seat ratings for older children. Visit IIHS to start searching for safety information for any vehicle model.
Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports has been providing unbiased product reviews since its founding in 1936 as an independent non-profit organization. Included in its vehicle recommendations, Consumer Reports combines vehicle safety ratings from NHTSA and IIHS to provide crash test and rollover data for a variety of vehicles, both old and new.
The organization also offers safety advice on a wide range of vehicle safety related topics, ranging from the best devices on vehicles to keep you out of a crash to detailed guides detailing vehicle safety features. Visit ConsumerReports for a variety of vehicle safety ratings to help you choose the right vehicle to keep you and your family safe on the nation's roads.
What do car safety ratings mean?
By subjecting cars to various crash tests, the NHTSA and IIHS classify cars into different classes. The NHTSA classes include mini cars, light cars, compact cars, medium cars, heavy cars, SUVs, and pickup trucks and vans.
The IIHS uses a similar albeit deeper classification system and includes microcars, subcompacts, subcompacts, mid-size cars, mid-range cars, mid-size luxury/near-luxury cars, mid-size convertibles, large family cars, large class cars luxury, small SUVs. , midsize SUVs, luxury midsize SUVs, minivans, small pickups and large pickups.
Front impact testing
But how do these institutions really know what will happen during a traffic accident? Both NHTSA and IIHS conduct frontal crash testing, albeit in different ways. The NHTSA test uses two crash test dummies the same size as the average adult male. The researchers place the dummies side by side in the front seats, fastening them with the vehicle's seat belts. They then crash into a stationary barrier at 35 miles per hour.
The researchers then measure the effect of impact force on the dummies and assign the vehicle a front crash test rating based on the percentage chance that a vehicle occupant will suffer a serious injury or any life-threatening injury requiring immediate hospitalization. head and chest area. The five stars for NHTSA testing include the following:
- 5 stars = 10% or less chance of injury.
- 4 stars = 11-20% chance to get hurt
- 3 stars = 21-35% chance to get hurt
- 2 stars = 36-45% chance to get hurt
- 1 star = more than 46 percent chance of injury or higher.
The IIHS, on the other hand, rates a vehicle's safety in one of four categories: Good, Acceptable, Marginal, and Poor. In offset testing, only one side of the front of the vehicle hits an obstacle at 40 mph. In addition to the likelihood of injury, IIHS testing takes into account how well the vehicle's structure holds up and the movement of the single dummy used during the test.
Side impact test
Both NHTSA and IIHS also differ in their approach to side rail crash testing. Both organizations are trying to simulate the impacts most commonly encountered at the crossroads. The NHTSA crashes into the test vehicle with a 3,015-pound deformable barrier while two test dummies - the same size as the average person - sit buckled into the two front seats. Researchers measure the force of impact to the head, neck, chest, and pelvis and rate it on a scale of 1 to 5 stars as follows:
- 5 stars = 5 percent or less chance of injury.
- 4 stars = 6-10% chance to get hurt
- 3 stars = 11-20% chance to get hurt
- 2 stars = 21-25% chance to get hurt
- 1 star = 26 percent or more chance of injury.
The difference between the NHTSA and IIHS test can be found in the size of the barrier and the dummies used, and what the test is designed to measure. Using a scoring system of Good, Acceptable, Marginal, and Poor, the test measures the injuries that small women or children can sustain in the side impact of a large truck or SUV. More rigorous than NHTSA testing, the test helps the IIHS evaluate a vehicle's side impact protection potential, allowing them to find and recommend vehicles that can provide this type of protection.
Rollover testing
Another important area of testing includes rollover tests. The NHTSA is the only group currently doing this type of testing. Using dynamic testing combined with static testing, researchers are studying the likelihood of a vehicle rollover in a range of real world situations.
The test car simulates a car with five passengers and a tank of gasoline. While driving in such a way as to simulate an emergency lane change, the test equipment measures how far the tires leave the ground. A clue occurs when at least two tires are at least two or more inches off the ground. The vehicle receives a star rating based on the percentage chance of rollover according to the following:
- 5 stars = 10% chance of renewal.
- 4 stars = 10-20 percent chance of renewal.
- 3 stars = 20-30 percent chance of renewal.
- 2 stars = 30-40 percent chance of renewal.
- 1 star = 40% chance of renewal.
Who can you trust?
When it comes to vehicle safety ratings, both the NHTSA and IIHS are trusted sources of vehicle safety testing. And while both of them approach different tests in slightly different ways, their clever approach and use of test dummies to determine the strength of impacts from different directions make their conclusions much more convincing, especially when considered in the context of finding the safest vehicle to drive on the road.
Organizations like Consumer Reports have enough confidence in both the NHTSA and IIHS to include their test results in their own vehicle safety recommendations.
The importance of inspecting a car before buying
Before buying a car, ask AvtoTachki to conduct an inspection to determine the general condition of the car, including serviceability and safety. The mechanic should also determine if the car shows any signs that important vehicle functions such as tires, brakes, or suspension need to be repaired. This extra step will help you make a more informed decision about buying the safest car. Be sure to consider available safety ratings, look for cars with the best crash test and rollover ratings.
