Changes Made to NHTSA 5-Star Rating System

Submitted By: Al Wannestadt

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been performing their New Car Assessment Program, perhaps better known as the Five-Star Safety Rating System, since 1978. However, this year they have decided to shake things up and have drastically revised the system. This will mark the first year that vehicles will receive an overall score, which will make vehicle comparisons easier for consumers. The NHTSA has also implemented additional tests. Due to the major changes, 2011 model ratings will not be comparable to previous model years, and the ratings are not likely to be shown on new vehicles for at least a few more weeks, if not longer.
One major change to the test is the addition of a small female dummy. In years past, a medium-sized male dummy was used in all tests to stand for all drivers. However, the NHTSA realized that this did not properly represent the American population. The new dummy is being used to symbolize smaller women and children, and injuries sustained to this dummy will be compared to those of the larger, since women and children are likely to be affected differently than men in an accident due to their size. The new dummy will also be equipped with additional sensors to measure injury data.
The NHTSA has also enhanced the crash tests with the addition of a side pole test. This new assessment involves a vehicle colliding with a 25-centimeter-wide pole, which is being used to represent narrow stationary objects that vehicles may collide with, such as trees and telephone poles. The other tests performed by the NHTSA are more or less unchanged, but the additional dummy will provide more thorough data. After each test, a full injury assessment of the dummy will be performed, taking note of the impact to the head, chest, lower spine, pelvis, and abdomen.
Another new feature will be the disclosure of whether or not vehicles are equipped with crash-avoidance technology. Although the inclusion of technologies such as electronic stability control, a lane departure warning system, or forward-collision warning system will not affect the final score, consumers will be made aware of the whether or not these features are available on their vehicle, which will help with comparisons to other vehicles, and may ultimately influence their buying decision.
This year, new models will also be awarded an overall score for the first time, based on their scores on each category. Every category will weigh in differently, and the new overall rating will make it easier for consumers to compare vehicles. In the past, consumers had to compare each score individually, and determine which scores outweighed the others, since there was nothing to tie them together.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration made the decision to update the test because they feel that after several years of being tested in the same way, automakers have figured out the protocol, and know exactly what they need to do to earn a top rating. Last year, almost every vehicle tested earned 4- or 5-star ratings, ultimately leading the NHTSA to conclude that it was time to raise the standards.Published At: Isnare.com Free Articles Directory - http://www.isnare.com