Buying a new car or truck can be nerve-racking, what with all the different options to choose from and the financial aspect of such a major transaction. But finding out a car's safety ratings—and how it earned those ratings—should be simple and stress-free. We can help. Safety organizations have different methods of testing vehicles before assigning their ratings. The two main players are the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
NHTSA's Stars on Cars
NHTSA started wrecking cars in 1978 to test their performance during frontal-impact crashes and later added side and rollover crash tests as well as lists of recommended safety technology to its New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Ratings are given for each test as well as overall, with five stars being the top score. The federal agency now conducts 90 to 125 tests annually on high-volume models that are new or significantly updated for a given model year. That means a car such as the redesigned Kia K5 would be tested but not a limited-edition sports car or a carryover volume model.
NHTSA's tests are performed by several independent facilities located around the United States. One of these is Calspan Corporation, an engineering and research firm based in Buffalo, New York. “We have no ties to anyone,” said Gerald Goupil, Calspan's director of vehicle crash testing. “In the scheme of running a test, we provide a completely unbiased result.” Goupil says car-focused clients include government agencies (like NHTSA, which is part of the Department of Transportation) or car companies that don't have the capacity or infrastructure needed to run certain tests. Calspan's 58,000-square-foot test lab features two crash halls and is used to test everything from production cars and prototypes to motorcycles and heavy-duty trucks.
IIHS Picks Its Safest Cars
An insurance-industry-backed nonprofit organization, the IIHS conducts its own series of six crash tests on over 100 new vehicles each year. Like NHTSA, it generally chooses vehicles that sell in high numbers and are new or significantly updated. Ratings are Good, Acceptable, Marginal, or Poor. Other factors—such as the effectiveness of a vehicle’s headlights, the ease of using child-seat anchors (LATCH), and the performance of safety systems such as automated emergency braking—are factored into a vehicle's overall score.The IIHS's highest rating is Top Safety Pick+. To earn it, a car must score Good ratings in all six crash tests. These tests include driver's-side small-overlap front, moderate-overlap front, side, roof-strength, passenger-side small-overlap test, and head-restraint crash tests. It must also earn a Good or Acceptable rating for headlights. The car also must score a rating of Advanced or Superior in driving tests related to the effectiveness of front crash-prevention systems such as automated emergency braking. We've actually conducted our very-own automated braking test on four-different models at an IIHS facility. The next-best rating of Top Safety Pick goes to vehicles that earn those same top ratings in the five crash tests and front crash-prevention equipment performance but can score only Acceptable in headlights; Top Safety Pick award does not require a Good or Acceptable rating in the passenger-side small-overlap front test.“We develop tests not to necessarily supplant what NHTSA is producing, but to augment it,” said Joe Nolan, chief administrative officer and senior vice president for vehicle research at the IIHS test facility in Ruckersville, Virginia. “We tell consumers: What you really should be looking for is no less than four stars from the government and a Good or Top Safety Pick recommendation from us.”
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Frontal Crash Test
To simulate a head-on collision between two vehicles of a similar weight, a vehicle is crashed into a fixed barrier at 35 mph. Two crash-test dummies are placed in the car: an average-size (50th percentile) adult male in the driver's seat and a small-size (5th percentile) female in the front passenger seat. The test dummies wear seatbelts in every test.
Side Pole Crash Test
A 3015-pound barrier crashes into the side of a static vehicle at 38.5 mph. This test is done to simulate the results from a side-impact collision, such as when one car is hit by another vehicle that failed to yield or stop at a four-way intersection. Two crash test dummies are placed in the car, an average-size adult male in the driver's seat and a small-size female in the rear seat directly behind the driver.
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Side Barrier Crash Test
A vehicle is pulled at 20 mph and at a 75-degree angle into a 9.5-inch-diameter pole, hitting the car on the side at the driver's-seat position. This test is done to simulate what happens if a driver slides off a road and crashes into an object such as a utility pole. A small-size female dummy is placed in the driver's seat.
Rollover Resistance Test
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A vehicle's susceptibility to rolling over during a highway-speed driving maneuver is measured in a lab using a measurement called the Static Stability Factor. This determines a vehicle's center of gravity and whether a car or truck has a greater chance of rolling over after a driver loses control and the vehicle leaves the road. This test does not physically crash a vehicle or use a test dummy.NHTSA assigns individual star ratings based on how vehicles weather each test and issues an overall safety score. The more stars you see the better.
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IIHS Moderate-Overlap Front
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2019 Subaru Ascent moderate overlap IIHS crash test
A car is driven into a two-foot-tall deformable barrier at 40 mph, striking it with 40 percent of its front width, on the driver's side of the vehicle. The test simulates a head-on collision between two vehicles of the same weight. An average-size male test dummy is in the driver's seat.
IIHS Driver's-Side Small-Overlap Front
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To simulate a head-on collision between two vehicles of a similar weight, a vehicle is crashed into a fixed barrier at 35 mph. Two crash-test dummies are placed in the car: an average-size (50th percentile) adult male in the driver's seat and a small-size (5th percentile) female in the front passenger seat. The test dummies wear seatbelts in every test.
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IIHS Passenger-Side Small-Overlap Front
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This is virtually the same test as the driver's-side small-overlap front, except two average-size male test dummies are used, with one in the front passenger seat and one in the driver's seat.
IIHS Side Impact
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A 3300-pound “SUV-like” test barrier hits the driver's side of a vehicle at 31 mph. Two test dummies are used, sized as a 5th-percentile adult woman or average 12-year-old child, one in the driver's seat and the other in the rear seat behind the driver. IIHS said that size dummy is used for side testing because shorter people are more vulnerable in real-world side-impact crashes.
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IIHS Roof Strength
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In this test, a metal plate is pneumatically forced downward onto the roof of a car. The roof is crushed exactly five inches, and the force, which IIHS calls the strength-to-weight ratio, needed to do this is calculated. The more force needed to crush the roof five inches, the greater the likelihood that the car would perform well in a rollover.
IIHS Head Restraints
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This test simulates a rear-end collision, one in which a static vehicle would be hit from behind at 20 mph. The force exerted on a driver's neck and spine is logged by using one of the smartest safety dummies, with 24 articulated sections, meant to mimic the movement of a human spine during a collision.
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Automakers Crash, Too
In addition to the insurance industry and the feds, automakers perform their own crash tests. Volvo, for instance, conducts 20,000 to 30,000 computer crash-test simulations and about 60 physical crash tests each year at its Volvo Cars Safety Centre in Gothenburg, Sweden. The Volvo Cars Safety Centre has two test tracks, one fixed and one movable, on which it conducts vehicle-impact tests at speeds of up to 75 mph. Cars can also be smashed into each other for vehicle-to-vehicle crash-test results. The movable test track can be rotated up to 90 degrees to conduct front, rear, and side impacts from multiple angles and over a wide range of speed. “There are no two crashes that are identical in the real world,” said Malin Ekholm, director of the center.
Nick Kurczewski
For more than 20 years, automotive journalist Nick Kurczewski has written for dozens of print and digital publications about all aspects of the car world. Past adventures have included driving nearly 200 mph on the German autobahn and becoming a licensed Zamboni driver at an ice rink in Manhattan. He’s driven a car powered by compressed air, investigated how to keep rodents out of engine bays, and talked his way out of a ticket while piloting a Bugatti. In his more relaxed moments, Nick loves helping people find the perfect car for their driving needs and shopping budget
FAQs
What is the difference between NHTSA and IIHS safety ratings? ›
Two nonprofit authorities rate vehicles for safety: the IIHS and NHTSA. NHTSA uses a 5-star scoring system, while the IIHS uses Good, Acceptable, Marginal, and Poor. Crash testing is a critical component of vehicle safety ratings.
What does the NHTSA safety rating mean? ›More stars mean safer cars.
The 5-Star Safety Ratings program evaluates how vehicles perform in crash tests. NHTSA conducts frontal, side and rollover tests because these types account for the majority of crashes on America's roadways.
In the United States, two organizations are responsible for gathering and reporting on vehicle crash test data — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Both organizations conduct extensive testing to determine the safety of vehicles.
How do crash test ratings work? ›NHTSA crash tests. As part of its New Car Assessment Program, NHTSA scores its tests using a scale of one to five stars; the more the stars, the lesser the likelihood of injury or death. The IIHS uses a four-level scale: Poor, Marginal, Acceptable, and Good.
What is IIHS and NHTSA? ›Safety organizations have different methods of testing vehicles before assigning their ratings. The two main players are the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
Which car company has the safest car? ›- Honda City 4th Generation (GNCAP rating: 4 stars)
- Nissan Magnite (GNCAP rating: 4 stars)
- Renault Triber (GNCAP rating: 4 stars)
- Kia Carens (GNCAP rating: 3 stars)
- Maruti Suzuki Ertiga (GNCAP rating: 3 stars)
Vehicle Safety Risk Ratings (VSRR)
VSRR ratings assessed vehicles are estimates based on real-world crash data from over 8 million crashes. The rating is based on the average crash rating of similar vehicles (eg other small SUVs) from the same year of manufacture.
What are safety ratings? Safety ratings are scores assigned to different vehicles based on their performance on a series of safety tests. In particular, safety ratings provide consumers with information on crash avoidance and safety features of different vehicles.
What is a good score for safety? ›The Safety Score is a value between 0 and 100, where a higher score indicates safer driving. Most drivers are expected to have a Safety Score of 80 or above.
Why are some cars not rated by NHTSA? ›Most of the vehicles without ratings are low-volume models, sports cars, luxury vehicles, or large vans. The expense is too great for NHTSA and the IIHS to test all vehicles, so choices are made based on car sales volume and testing budgets.
Which are the 3 crash tests that determine a safety rating? ›
IIHS conducts three different frontal crash tests: a moderate overlap test (formerly known as the frontal offset test), a driver-side small overlap test and a passenger-side small overlap test.
What is the safest car ever tested by NHTSA? ›Tesla Model Y receives top safety score of any vehicle ever tested [video]
How car rating is calculated? ›Each car under the NCAP, as you may be familiar, is given a rating on a 5-star scale – the higher the star rating, the safer the car. The rating itself is based on the Adult Occupant Protection and Child Occupant Protection scores resulting from the crash test.
How do you calculate crash risk? ›Measuring crash risk. NCSKEW_{it} is calculated by dividing the negative of the third moment of firm-specific weekly returns by the standard deviation of firm-specific weekly returns raised to the third power over all n weeks of the fiscal year.
Are the Crash Test Dummies? ›A lot of research goes into these dummies before they are put into use. Each of us differs in size and weight, so each crash test dummy is designed differently too. NHTSA's family of dummies representation ranges from newborn infant to 6-year-old children to small females and average males.
Which is the No 1 safety car in the world? ›1. Genesis G70. Genesis G70 is a low-cost sports sedan with high scores on various crash tests. It is one of themostsafest cars in the world that has standard driver-assist technologies like automated emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, and adaptive cruise control.
Which SUV is safest in a crash? ›The Nautilus has a five-star (out of five) overall safety rating from the NHTSA, as well as five stars in frontal and side impact crash testing and four stars for rollover safety. The Nautilus scored the highest grade possible from the IIHS in all six of the organization's crash tests.
What car brand has the least accidents? ›This may come as a surprise: of all car makes, Porsche is the brand with the lowest rate of accidents. In fact, just 8.62 out of every 100 Porsche drivers have an at-fault accident on their record. That means Porsche motorists cause accidents 22 percent less often than the average United States driver.
What car has the safest crash rating? ›| # | VEHICLES | FRONTAL CRASH |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Volvo XC90 | 5 Star |
| 2 | Tesla Model S | 5 Star |
| 3 | Genesis G90 | Not Rated |
| 4 | BMW 5 Series | Not Rated |
#1 – Airbags.
Driver and passenger airbags typically will deploy if you get into an accident that involves the front of your vehicle. However, some cars come equipped with several additional airbags. The supplemental airbags can help protect you in many different circumstances or accident types.
Is a safety rating of 3 good? ›
You have twice the chance of being killed or seriously injured in a 3 star ANCAP safety rated car compared to a 5 star ANCAP safety rated car. How safe is safe? To achieve the maximum 5 star ANCAP safety rating, a vehicle must perform to the highest level across all crash tests and assessments.
What does a 7 rating mean? ›TV-Y7 indicates that programming is designed for chil- dren ages 7 and older. An additional rating, TV-Y7-FV, is used to indicate that a program contains “fantasy violence” that may be more intense or combative than other TV-Y7 programs. Are all TV programs rated? The Guidelines apply to most television programs.
What is a good driving score? ›What's a good score? Scores of 50 or higher can be considered good scores and may qualify you for auto insurance discounts.
What is a 5 star crash rating? ›Side Crash Safety Ratings
A 5-star rating is the highest rating that can be achieved in any crash category. If the side barrier star rating for the front seating position is to be shown, results for the rear seating position should also be shown, and vice versa.
On the five-star scale for the frontal rating, a five-star rating means there's a less than 10 percent chance the driver or passenger would sustain major injuries.
What cars did not pass the crash test? ›- Buick Encore.
- Chevrolet Equinox.
- Honda CR-V.
- Honda HR-V.
- Hyundai Tucson.
- Jeep Compass.
- Jeep Renegade.
- Mazda CX-5.
- All Land Rover vehicles.
- All Porsche vehicles.
- All Jaguar vehicles.
- Lexus GX.
- Mercedes-Benz GLA.
- Mercedes-Benz GLS.
- BMW X7.
- BMW 4 series.
Advanced technologies and improved structural designs make newer cars a safer choice for your family. NHTSA data shows that fatality rates increase among those driving older vehicles.
What are 3 criteria for frontal crashes used in the 5 star rating system? ›In frontal crashes, the star rating is determined by the worst score on these three criteria: Head Injury Criteria (HIC) Chest deceleration. Femur load.
What is a code 3 accident? ›Code 3 – Permanently Unfit For Use
To the insurance company the cost of fixing the damage would amount to more than the car's value at that particular time.
What are the different levels of IIHS ratings? ›
Determining IIHS ratings
According to the IIHS, a vehicle's performance on most tests (including crashworthiness, headlights, and LATCH usability) is graded poor, marginal, acceptable, or good. Front crash prevention receives basic, advanced, or superior ratings.
- Hyundai: Sonata (examples built after December 2022)
- Lexus: ES 350.
- Lincoln: Nautilus.
- Mazda: Mazda3 (hatchback and sedan), CX-30, CX-5, CX-50, CX-9.
- Nissan: Rogue.
- Subaru: Forester, Legacy.
- Toyota: Corolla (hatchback and sedan), RAV4, RAV4 Prime, Venza.
Cars such as the Acura TLX, Genesis G70, and Subaru Outback all earned an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award for 2022. For the 2022 model year, more than 50 vehicles earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's highest honor of "Top Safety Pick+".
What percentage is good for a car? ›Experts typically recommend spending no more than 20 percent of take-home pay on a car. That should include the cost of car payments, fuel, insurance and more.
What is an acceptable crash rate? ›Generally, the ideal app crash rate is less than 1% per user, less than 0.1% per session, and less than 0.01% per screen view. Before launching any app, it's important to minimize the app crash rate and ensure good performance.
What is the basic risk formula? ›Risk is the combination of the probability of an event and its consequence. In general, this can be explained as: Risk = Likelihood × Impact.
What percentage is considered a crash? ›The technical definition of a market crash is that stocks fall by 10 percent or more in one day. They are often caused by a mass panic in reaction to an event that prompts several investors to sell stocks at the same time, but they can also be associated with economic downturns and other factors.
What car has the best crash test results? ›- Top Safety Pick. 2023 Hyundai Sonata 4-door sedan. applies only to vehicles built after December 2022.
- Top Safety Pick. 2023 Subaru Legacy 4-door sedan.
- Top Safety Pick+ 2023 Subaru Outback 4-door wagon.
- Top Safety Pick+ 2023 Toyota Camry 4-door sedan. applies only to vehicles built after January 2023.
In the end, crash tests do matter if you're looking to buy a car. For SUVs and trucks, perhaps the driver may be the biggest difference between safety and harm. An amazing 95% of all new vehicles receive five star ratings from the NHTSA, which has pretty much rendered those tests useless anyway.
Why don t they use female crash test dummies? ›Female crash dummies are not used in car crash testing
The National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) testing is biased against women. These issues are the result of bureaucratic inertia and years of testing discrimination. The result is no female crash dummies being used.
What is the highest NHTSA safety rating? ›
Results from these tests are compiled into a rating of one to five stars, with five stars being the highest. “Safety is at the heart of everything we do at NHTSA.
What is the highest NHTSA rating? ›Under no circumstances may an advertisement claim a vehicle earned a rating higher than 5 stars. NHTSA will provide an overall frontal crash safety rating on NHTSA.gov and encourages the use of this overall rating in advertising.
What is the most reliable car rating site? ›Consumers Reports is the go-to source for unbiased car ratings. According to this trusted organization, the most reliable cars for 2021 are from brands such as Audi, Buick, Hyundai, and Toyota.
What is the most reliable car rating? ›...
The Rankings:
- 8 Polestar 2.
- 7 Subaru Outback.
- 6 Mercedes C-Class.
- 5 Volvo C40.
- 4 Mazda 3.
- 3 Mercedes EQS.
- 2 Genesis G90.
- 1 Nissan Rogue Sport.
The safest SUV for 2022 is the Tesla Model Y. This also makes the Tesla Model Y the safest luxury SUV and safest electric SUV. The safest small SUV is the Mazda CX-30. After Tesla, the Subaru Ascent takes second place as the safest midsize SUV for 2022.
What is the most accident prone vehicle? ›According to Insurify, the most crash-prone vehicles from 2021 are as follows: Compact Cars: Subaru Impreza. Mid Size Cars: Kia Stinger, Toyota Prius. Luxury Cars: Lexus CT, Infiniti Q60, Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Subaru WRX.
Which car is best in crash test? ›Mahindra XUV300
Even though the Tata Nexon was once promoted as the safest car in the country, it's the Mahindra XUV300 which became the first model to get the full 5-star Global NCAP rating. Also, unlike the Tata Nexon, which has a 3-star child occupant protection score, the XUV300 has scored 4-star.
| # | VEHICLES | SIDE CRASH |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Volvo XC90 | 5 Star |
| 2 | Tesla Model S | 5 Star |
| 3 | Genesis G90 | Not Rated |
| 4 | BMW 5 Series | Not Rated |