From browsing all the options to figuring out how you are going to pay for it, buying a car is stressful. However, finding a vehicle’s safety rating and knowing what this means shouldn’t be. Stop and take a breath. Now get ready to learn about the two major safety rating organizations and some tests they use. Here’s more about the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ratings and tests. NHTSA Stars
Before you start researching a vehicle’s history, take a minute to review the front, side, and rollover stars that the NHTSA gave it. They give up to five stars for each test they perform as well as an overall safety score.
This agency wrecks between 90 and 120 cars each year performing safety tests on models that are very popular or have undergone extensive updates. That means you can expect a recently redesigned KIA to have an updated safety rating, but a rare sports car might not even have a star rating. IIHS Ratings
Again, before you start researching in the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, look at a car’s rating according to the IIHS, a nonprofit that wrecks about 100 cars per year with six different crash tests. It chooses cars that are very popular or have recently been updated. The rating you can expect here is either poor, marginal, acceptable, or good. This rating also includes things beyond crash results, such as headlights, child safety, and safety systems.
The highest rating you’ll see from the IIHS is the Top Safety Pick+. Only cars that receive Good in all crash tests will receive this rating. The tests it must pass are the driver and passenger side front, front with moderate overlap, roof strength, side, and head restraint tests. It must also have an acceptable or good headlight rating. These cars must also have advanced or superior results from safety feature tests. That includes features like automatic emergency braking. Frontal Crash Test
Frontal crash tests involve a 35 MPH barrier crash. An average-sized dummy sits on the driver’s side and a smaller dummy is placed in the passenger seat. These dummies use seatbelts in this test to give accurate results. Rollover Resistance Test
The NHTSA tests rollover resistance at highway speeds inside using the car’s static stability factor. That factors in the car’s gravitational center and determines how likely it is that the car will roll over if the car gets out of control and leaves the pavement.
Because this is in the lab, it doesn’t involve crashing a car or a dummy. Instead, the stars are assigned based on how they weather less destructive tests. The more stars, the less likely you’ll be to have to learn more about emergency eyecare. Know the Details
You want to make sure that you are safe in your car. Whether you plan to drive at high speeds or sit in city traffic, you are always at risk of a crash when driving. Anything from large diesel trucks to small electric cars can be safe or unsafe. Knowing the safety rating of a vehicle can help you find a car that is right for you.
