The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently announced which vehicles will debut the agency's new safety testing system. The list includes popular family vehicles such as the Honda Civic, Ford Fusion and Toyota Prius, as well as high-end vehicles such as the BMW 5-Series and Audi A4.
In total, nine pick-up trucks, two vans, 20 SUVs and 24 cars from the 2011 model year will be rated using the new system that includes more rigorous crash tests, consumer information about advanced auto technologies, as well as an overall safety score for each vehicle tested.
Raising the Bar
According to a NHTSA statement, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says, "This new testing program significantly raises the safety bar for all vehicle manufacturers and will provide consumers with a great deal more safety information about the cars and trucks they want to buy."
The NHTSA has also upgraded the crash test dummies used to assess injury criteria in front- and side-crash tests.
For the frontal crashes, the dummies represent average-size adults in the driver and front passenger seats, secured with the vehicle's seatbelts. The vehicles are then crashed into stationary barriers at 35 mph.
Assessing Chances of Serious Injury
NHTSA instruments in the vehicles measure the impact force to the head, neck, pelvis, chest, feet and legs of the dummies in order to assess the chance of serious injuries (a serious injury in this context is one that may be life-threatening and requires immediate hospitalization).
The new five-star ratings are based on the chances of serious injuries as follows:
- Five stars: 10 percent or less chance of serious injury
- Four stars: 11 percent to 20 percent chance of serious injury
- Three stars: 21 percent to 35 percent chance of serious injury
- Two stars: 36 percent to 45 percent chance of serious injury
- One star: 46 percent or greater chance of serious injury
Because the new ratings use different crash test dummies and assess the chances of serious injuries in side-impact crashes as well, the 2011 ratings will not be directly comparable to previous test results. In other words, a five-star 2010 model might not receive five stars under the new testing program.
If you have been injured in an automobile collision contact a California personal injury attorney who can assess the facts in your case and help determine who is liable for your injuries.
