86% of New Vehicles to Submit to 5-Star Safety Ratings Program

Approximately 86% of the 2022 new vehicle fleet will undergo testing for the National Highway Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) 5-Star Safety Ratings program, according to NHTSA.

The agency notes that this year’s list includes nine electric vehicles — an unprecedented number. For example, the Audi Q4 e-tron, Chevrolet Bolt EV, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia Niro Electric, and Mazda MX30, to name just a few of the electric models, will all be put through the paces.

As for traditional vehicles, the Acura MDX SUV, Chevrolet Silverado pickup, Ford Expedition SUV, Honda Civic sedan, Nissan Altima, and Volkswagen Jetta are just a handful of the models that will undergo the rigorous evaluations.

Under the program, NHTSA crash tests new vehicles and rates them on how well they protect occupants in frontal, side, and rollover crashes. Results from these tests are compiled into a rating of 1 to 5 stars, with 5 stars being the highest rating.

Ultimately, the vehicle safety ratings are displayed on the Monroney label, or window sticker, of new cars, and manufacturers routinely use them in their advertising.

The overall goal of NHTSA’s program is to help guide buyers in choosing safer vehicles, so the roadways are made safer for all road users.

In related news, NHTSA also announced that it will test specific additional vehicles to verify performance of advanced driver assistance systems. The list of 18 includes vehicles from Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Jeep, Kia, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, and Volkswagen.