The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's overhaul of its federally mandated crash-testing program in 2020 will cover a wide spectrum of safety methods and procedures, the agency has announced.

Enhancements will include new technologies, new test procedures, updates to vehicle labeling, advancements in crash-test dummies, and continued consumer research to ensure that the program is effectively meeting the public's needs.

The updates to the New Car Assessment Program are based on feedback from a public meeting, according to the agency.

The overall goal of the improvements is to make the 5-Star Ratings program even more effective, to keep pace with the latest advancements in safety technology, and to encourage automakers to invest in safety.

With some 5,977 pedestrian traffic fatalities in 2017 alone, NHTSA is also considering adding new technologies linked to pedestrian safety and other vulnerable road users.

The federal government's program for evaluating vehicle safety performance has been in existence for 40 years. Technicians test vehicle performance in a variety of crash scenarios, and then the agency uses a five-star safety scale rating system to rate the new vehicles.