NHTSA Updates 5-Star Safety Ratings

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has finalized significant updates to its 5-Star Safety Ratings program. These changes aim to improve safety on American roads by incorporating advanced driver assistance technologies and enhancing protection for pedestrians. The revisions are part of the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) and were mandated by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. NHTSA’s goal is to help reduce roadway fatalities while providing consumers with better information to make informed decisions about new vehicle purchases.

Key Highlights:

Four new advanced driver assistance technologies: Pedestrian automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, blind spot warning, and blind spot intervention have been added to improve crash-avoidance safety.
Strengthened testing procedures: Enhanced criteria for technologies already included, such as automatic emergency braking, to ensure higher safety standards.
Crashworthiness pedestrian protection program: New evaluations on a vehicle’s ability to mitigate pedestrian injuries and fatalities during vehicle-to-pedestrian impacts.
Roadmaps for future updates: Plans to accommodate ongoing advancements in vehicle safety technology over the next decade, including improvements to protect bicyclists and motorcyclists.

The updated 5-Star Safety Ratings program, also known as NCAP, highlights emerging safety technologies that provide protection for those both inside and outside vehicles. NHTSA emphasizes that these updates are part of the Department’s long-term plan to address the national roadway crisis and reduce fatalities. By incorporating new driver assistance technologies and crashworthiness testing, NHTSA aims to speed up the adoption of safety measures that reduce the frequency and severity of accidents.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg commented, “This action today is another important step toward addressing the crisis on our roads and achieving the Department’s ambitious, long-term goal of zero road fatalities.” He added that these updates would facilitate the adoption of life-saving technologies and provide consumers with critical information when selecting a new vehicle.

Some of the notable changes include the addition of four advanced driver assistance systems: pedestrian automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, blind spot warning, and blind spot intervention. These additions are meant to enhance the vehicle’s crash-avoidance capabilities and mitigate risks for both drivers and pedestrians.

Furthermore, NCAP now features a crashworthiness pedestrian protection program that evaluates how well a vehicle’s front end mitigates pedestrian injuries in case of vehicle-to-pedestrian impacts. The updated roadmap also includes midterm and long-term plans for future enhancements to vehicle safety, focusing on areas such as crash avoidance and protections for bicyclists and motorcyclists.

NHTSA Chief Counsel Adam Raviv remarked, “Our goal with NHTSA’s 5-Star Safety Ratings program has always been to help consumers choose safer vehicles and to encourage manufacturers to improve vehicle safety.” With these latest updates, NHTSA aims to keep the program in line with ongoing technological advancements, ensuring consumers have access to relevant and useful safety information.

The updated NCAP is a critical component of the Department’s National Roadway Safety Strategy, aiming to reduce injuries and fatalities on U.S. roads. As the flagship consumer information program for evaluating vehicle safety, NCAP continues to provide objective ratings to help consumers make informed purchasing decisions. The 5-Star Safety Ratings assess how well vehicles perform in various crash tests and provide valuable insights into their safety performance.

For more information on the NCAP program and the updated safety ratings, visit NHTSA.gov/Ratings.

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