UNDERSTANDING THE STAR RATING

Why Are We Using the Star Ratings?

In response to Congress' request to provide consumers with easily understandable vehicle safety performance information, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) developed the "star" scoring system. The results are reported in a range of one to five stars.

How Do I Interpret the Different Levels of Protection?

Five stars indicate the best protection for vehicles within the same weight class. Head and chest injury data are combined into a single rating and reflected by the number of stars. The ratings represent a vehicle's relative level of crash protection in a head-on collision. Vehicles should be evaluated against other vehicles within their own weight class.

What Do the Stars Mean?

	= 10% or less chance of serious injury
	= 11% to 20% chance of serious injury
	= 21% to 35% chance of serious injury
	= 36% to 45% chance of serious injury
	= 46% or greater chance of serious injury

A serious injury is considered to be one requiring immediate hospitalization and may be life threatening.

Have Crash Test Procedures Changed?

NHTSA's crash test procedures remained unchanged, and the results compare frontal crash protection only. Vehicles are crashed into a fixed barrier at 35 miles per hour (mph), which is equivalent to a head-on collision between two identical vehicles, each moving at 35 mph. Instrumented dummies in the driver and front seat passenger seats register forces and impacts during the crash. These measures form the basis for the "Star Ratings" chart.

UNDERSTANDING THE STAR RATING FOR SIDE IMPACT CRASH TESTS

Why Are We Using the Star Ratings?

In response to Congress' request to provide consumers with easily understandable vehicle safety performance information, the National Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) developed the 'star' scoring system for the frontal crash test. The results are reported in a range of one to five stars. This star rating methodology has been extended to the lateral impact.

How Do I Interpret the Different Levels of Protection for Side Impact Crash Tests?

Drivers and passengers in the side crash rating receive a one to five star rating, with five stars indicating the best performance. The side crash star ratings are assigned based in the chance of a life threatening chest injury for the driver, the front seat passenger, and the rear seat passenger. Head injury is not measured in the side crashes. For every vehicle in a severe side crash there are two vehicles in severe frontal crashes.

What Do the Stars Mean?

	= 5% or less than chance of serious injury
	= 6% to 10% chance of serious injury
	= 11% to 20% chance of serious injury
	= 21% to 25% chance of serious injury
	= 26% or greater chance of serious injury

A serious injury is considered to be one requiring immediate hospitalization and may be life threatening.

Side Crash Test Procedures.

The test configuration represents an intersection type collision with a 3015 pound deformable barrier moving at 38.5 mph into the stationary struck vehicle. In the stationary vehicle, instrumented dummies in the driver and rear seat passenger seats register forces during the crash. These measures form the basis for the "Star Ratings" chart.