Automobile safety ratings provide an assessment of a vehicle’s ability to protect occupants during crashes and prevent accidents. These ratings are crucial for making informed decisions when buying a car. Here’s what you should know:
1. What Safety Ratings Measure
Safety ratings focus on several aspects:
Crashworthiness: How well a vehicle protects occupants in a collision.
Crash Avoidance and Mitigation: The effectiveness of features like automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control.
Child Safety: Evaluations of child seat anchor systems and how well they protect younger passengers.
Pedestrian Protection: The vehicle’s ability to reduce injuries to pedestrians in case of a collision.
2. Organizations That Provide Ratings
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):
Operates the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) in the U.S.
Uses a 5-star system to rate frontal, side, and rollover crash performance.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS):
Provides ratings like Good, Acceptable, Marginal, or Poor for crash tests.
Evaluates advanced safety technologies and headlights.
European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP):
Focuses on crash safety, active safety features, and environmental factors in Europe.
Global NCAP: Offers standardized ratings for vehicles in emerging markets.
3. Key Tests Performed
Frontal Crash Test: Simulates a head-on collision.
Side Crash Test: Assesses the impact from another vehicle or pole.
Rollover Resistance Test: Evaluates the likelihood of a vehicle rolling over in a crash.
Roof Strength Test: Measures roof resilience in rollovers (IIHS-specific).
Child Restraint System Test: Checks the safety of child seat installations.
4. Importance of Active Safety Features
Modern safety ratings also assess advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), such as:
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB): Reduces or prevents collisions.
Lane Departure Warning (LDW): Alerts when drifting out of a lane.
Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM): Detects vehicles in adjacent lanes.
Electronic Stability Control (ESC): Helps maintain control in slippery conditions.