NHTSA Crash Standards Are About To Get More Strict
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced it will propose “significant updates and upgrades” to the New Car Assessment Program in 2020, which it says will help the five-star safety rating program “keep pace with advancements in safety technology.”
The more robust five-star safety rating system will involve “new technologies, new test procedures, updates to vehicle labeling, advancements in crash-test dummies, and continued consumer research to ensure (the New Car Assessment Program) products are effectively meeting the public’s needs.” NHTSA also says it will consider revising the way it rates vehicle safety with relation to the safety of pedestrians and other “vulnerable road users” such as cyclists.
“Our program has been a tremendous success and has saved many lives, but far too many American families still lose loved ones every year, and we firmly believe that vehicles can and should be even safer in the future,” NHTSA Acting Administrator James Owens said in a statement. “That is why NHTSA is working on improving the program to make the 5-Star Safety Ratings Program even more dynamic, and to accelerate NCAP modernization to keep pace with advancements in safety technology. American car buyers want safety, and NHTSA wants to help by creating additional market-based incentives for automakers to continue investing in innovative safety technologies that will save lives and prevent injuries.”
NHTSA says it is currently working on a Federal Register Notice, which will be published in 2020, that will seek comments from citizens on upgrades that can be made to the NCAP five-star rating system. With vehicles becoming increasingly safe and automakers rapidly implementing active safety technologies such as collision avoidance assist, NHTSA will be looking to introduce new test procedures that take into account such advancements and ensure they are being properly put to the test before they fall into consumers’ hands.
According to NHTSA data, 36,560 people were killed in traffic accidents in 2018 – a 2.4% decrease from 2017. This improvement was made with the help of safer new vehicles and new safety technologies. 2018 also saw a 10% dip in traffic deaths involving children 14 and younger, a 6% drop in speeding-related deaths and a 5% drop in motorcycle fatalities. Bicyclist and pedestrian deaths are on the rise, however – so we’re sure NHTSA will be paying close attention to pedestrian crash safety standards going forward.
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Why not make convex mirrors in addition to regular mirrors mandatory for the driver’s side.
Blind spot radar monitoring only covers a small area, compared to what can be seen in a convex mirror.
Note: Your mirrors never lie !
This will continue to drive up prices and limit styling.
I am all for safety but how far will they take this as you can go to a full harness and cage if you really want safety.
I am not for safety at all. These regulations are one of the reasons why all cars appear to look and drive similar. Instead of trying to make cars more safe why dont we invest in teaching drivers how to drive!!! Meaning dont get into accidents!!!
All of the safety features are worthless if you never get into a accident.
Besides the crash test standards are a joke.
Easier said than done. I have been in two bad ones and neither were my fault and neither could have been avoided.
My belts saved my life in one and the construction of my car saved my life in the other.
We should do common sense things but the gains anymore are much smaller than they were in the past. Today’s cars are pretty good as it is.
I agree. The U.S. is one of the easiest countries in the world to get a driver’s license in. Hence why nobody can really drive. Make it like Germany
Distracted driving and distracted walking are perhaps bigger issues than car safety. All the safety features in the world are useless if you’re not paying attention (and many drivers and pedestrians don’t!)
Post Bankruptcy GM cars are fairly well built to handle a crash. Last year, my Malibu with 36K miles got rear ended by a Corolla at 15 mph, and the car was still in good shape, just a couple dents on the bumper which was not to expensive to fix. However, the Corolla had a damaged front grill and headlights broke.
Nissan on the other hand is a unsafe crap can. I got rear ended another time at 5-10 mph by an SUV. The entire trunk got crushed, and my rear glass shattered.