Find Out How to Drive Safely from the Results of Federal Crash Test Results
Find Out How Cars Are Rated
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is a federal government organization that tests 2022 cars, trucks, and other vehicles. The Crash Test is one of the most important of these tests and will have an impact on how many of each particular model is sold this year.
Cars that do well in the testing are given 5-Star ratings. The results of these tests are posted on the car stickers and are used in advertising, especially if the results are 5-Star ratings.
What Does the NHTSA Test?
The NHTSA performs rigorous testing on new car models. They are rated on how well they protect passengers in front, side, and rollover crashes. In addition, advanced driver assistance programs are tested.
Some of the driver assistance capabilities that will be tested are lane-changing warnings, forward collision notices, braking warnings for a possible crash, and others.
How Many Vehicles Are Tested?
Almost 90% of the 2022 models will be tested by this agency. Customers will be able to decide which car to buy that will keep themselves and their families safe while on the road. There are 9 electric models in this group of cars that will be or have been tested.
What Types of Testing Does NHTSA Perform?
Many people are aware of Crash Tests that are performed on cars, but few of them know the details of these tests. The 5-Star ratings that manufacturers hope to receive show how well vehicles did in crash tests.
Cars, trucks, and other vehicles are tested for front, side, and rollover tests. Most accidents happen in these three ways on roads in America.
Why This Organization Performs Crash Testing
The main reason why the NHTSA performs crash testing is to help car buyers have helpful information about various car models. Its mission is to minimize deaths and injuries on America’s roads. The economic effects are also measured, from property damage to death or debilitating damages after a car accident like severe back pain.
The hope is that the car buyer will carefully consider and purchase only cars that are highly rated in crash testing. As more consumers do this, fewer crashes should occur.
Things That the NHTSA Regulates
Some of the issues that the NHTSA looks at involve safety defects in various car models. They also check odometer fraud and enforce anti-theft regulations. How many miles per gallon that a model gets is also considered, plus the organization helps reduce the risk of drunk drivers and supports the use of seat belts and child safety seats.
Drivers and Passengers Are Considered in Crash Testing
Passengers can be injured during a car crash. The driver and passenger test results for crashes are combined into a single rating. To see how various models withstand frontal crashes, the test considers how cars react to a collision between two cars traveling only 35 miles per hour. Vehicles are tested five times in separate crash tests.
More About Crash Testing
An adult-sized male of average size and a smaller female are used in the form of dummies in the crash. They are both wearing seat belts.
Another test checks to see how a car responds to sliding off the road and crashing into a utility pole or other object. The rollover resistance test checks models of different cars to see how they respond to a fast-speed accident. A test called the Static Stability Factor shows the vehicle’s chances of rolling over if the driver crashes.
Why Are Dummies Used in Car Crash Testing? (REVISED)
Most car crash testing is very rigid and realistic. A human being would be killed or seriously injured in most of the tests that are completed. Dummies are much smarter than they were in the past. They are not merely stuffed dolls made to imitate humans.
The dummies are carefully chosen for their size and weight. For example, one crash test uses a man at the 50th percentile for body size and weight. This is a dummy equal to 5 feet 10 inches and 175 pounds. The dummy is carefully examined after the testing to see how a person of a particular size would be affected by a crash.
Another Organization that Performs Crash Tests
The IIHS is a nonprofit insurance organization that performs 6 crash tests on certain vehicles every year. Cars and other vehicles that are new models or those with high sales are usually chosen. The results are Good, Acceptable, Marginal, or Poor.
Other factors are also considered, such as whether the vehicle’s headlights are acceptable or how easy it is to use car seats for children’s safety. Their highest award is the Top Safety Pick. Automatic Emergency Braking must be Advanced or Superior to receive this award.
Many people re more confident in the results of testing when they know that two organizations have done the testing.
IIHS Tests Other Types of Crashes
Driver’s side testing and passenger-side crash tests are also completed. These show how well the vehicle protects those inside the car if such a collision were to happen. Dummies are used in this test to measure the seriousness of such a collision.
The Roof Strength Is Also Tested
The IIHS also tests how well the car roof of certain models fare in a crash. During this test, the roof is crushed down 5 inches. Vehicles that crush down the least amount of inches are graded higher as being more sturdy in a rollover.
Rear-End Collision Testing
Another test that tests head restraints mimics a rear-end collision. The details are that another vehicle moving at 20 miles per hour hits a standing vehicle. A dummy is used for this test and the results show how much a driver’s neck and spine might be damaged.
Some Automakers Perform Their Own Testing
Some automakers like Volvo perform numerous computerized simulations on their cars. They also do real crash tests with their cars that are moving up to 75 miles per hour. Front, rear, and side crashes are completed to test the safety of their models.
