NHTSA Finalizes 5-Star Safety Ratings Updates

In recent years, the rise of new safety technology in automobiles has also led to some eye-opening revelations – mostly, the fact that the effectiveness of those systems tends to vary greatly between manufacturers, and there are also some limitations and shortcomings that need to be addressed. This includes the fact that automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems don’t perform the same at higher speeds as they do at lower ones, as well as a lack of universal regulation covering partially-autonomous features – not ideal given some recent high-profile crashes that occurred with those features engaged. Thus, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has updated its five-star safety ratings to reflect the prevalence of this new tech.

The NHTSA has been exploring various changes to existing Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards as of late, and now, it has updated its New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) five-star safety ratings program to accommodate advances in vehicle technology. Those changes start with the addition of four advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) technologies designed to enhance crash avoidance – lane keeping assist, automatic emergency braking, blind sport warning, and blind spot detection systems, which are becoming increasingly common in new vehicles.

On top of that, the NHTSA has updated and beefed up its testing procedures and performance criteria for ADAS technologies that are already included in NCAP, and has added a crashworthiness pedestrian protection program, which measures how well a vehicle’s front end mitigates pedestrian injuries and fatalities. Finally, the NHTSA has added mid- and long-term roadmaps that are designed to make it easier to add future updates as vehicle safety technology continues to advance at a rapid rate.

“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,” said NHTSA Chief Counsel Adam Raviv. “With these NCAP updates, we’re ensuring consumers have more useful and relevant information on the latest safety technologies and that the program keeps up with the pace of technological change and innovation.”