NHTSA releases first batch of crash test ratings under new safety standards

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Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety

Click above for safety ratings of all 30 vehicles tested under NHTSA's new crash test rating system

Earlier this year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that it would be revising its well known five-star crash test rating system for 2011 model year vehicles. These new test procedures make it more difficult for manufacturers' vehicles to achieve the administration's prestigious five-star safety rating, which they had been doing a bit too easily in recent years. Also, the latest round of new safety technologies - collision warning, lane departure warning, etc. - are now being tested, and a new pole side crash test has been added to the gauntlet that also includes old favorites like the frontal barrier, side barrier and rollover tests. Finally, vehicles are now given an overall rating that combines their star ratings in each of the three major categories (front, side and rollover).



Since the announcement earlier this year, NHTSA has been busy testing some 30 vehicles using the new system and released their results this morning. The full results are available after the jump, but it should be noted that these new ratings are not comparable to ratings for any 2010-11 model year vehicles rated using the old system.



Because the new testing regimen is more rigorous than before, most of the 30 vehicles tested have seen their star ratings drop. In fact, the only two 2011 models to retain five-star safety ratings are the BMW 5 Series and Hyundai Sonata, and the latter only after Hyundai tweaked the sedan and resubmitted it for testing. While most vehicles tested under the new system returned four-star overall ratings, the Toyota Camry, which was essentially a five-star vehicle for the 2010 model year (it scored only one four-star rating that year in the rollover test), only managed an overall rating of three stars under the new system. Below that, the compact Nissan Versa (at right in the middle of earning just two stars in the side pole test) earned an overall rating of only two stars after the 2010 model had earned four stars across the board.



NHTSA has also redesigned the safercar.gov website to make these new ratings easier to research and analyze. Each vehicle's page is clearly laid out and all of the crash test results are explained clearly and accompanied with video of each particular test.



Check out results for the whole lot of re-tested cars after the jump in the official chart released by NHTSA. We've also included the agency's press release for a few more details about the new crash test rating system that automakers are no doubt scrambling to ace as we speak.



[Sources: NHTSA, USA Today]

Continue reading NHTSA releases first batch of crash test ratings under new safety standards

NHTSA releases first batch of crash test ratings under new safety standards originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 10:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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