NHTSA Rolls Out 2013 Model Year Vehicles to be Rated Under Five-Star Safety Rating Program

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced every 2013 model year vehicle that will now go through its five-star safety rating testing regiment.  This system helps prospective buyers by making the vehicle’s safety information easy to attain and understand. The NHTSA tests hundreds of vehicles every year and gives each a certain number of stars depending how well it faired in testing. The more stars a vehicle gets, the safer it is. The NHTSA’s crash testing is meant to simulate a real-world accident and uses crash-test dummies, which vary in size, to collect data for research.

In total, the NHTSA will evaluate 54 vehicles. The vehicles include 33 cars, 16 SUVs, four trucks, and one van. It’s the NHTSA’s goal to provide safety information for about 85 percent of all 2013 model year vehicles. Roll-over tests delve even further and cover around 92 percent of all 2013 model year vehicles. This five-star program doesn’t just help prospective buyers; it also helps automakers get a better idea of how it can improve upon a vehicle, too.  Advanced safety features like forward collision warning and lane departure systems are noticed during testing.

To view all of the NHTSA’s findings, including vehicle safety ratings, check out its website. You can also check out the complete list 2013 model year vehicles below.

Model Year 2013 Vehicles Selected for the 5-Star Safety Rating Tests

PASSENGER CARS

PICKUP TRUCKS

SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES & VANS

The list of model year 2013 vehicles selected for LDW, FCW and/or ESC confirmation testing is as follows.

Model Year 2013 Vehicles Equipped with LDW, FCW and/or ESC

Selected for Confirmation Testing

PASSENGER CARS

SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES & VANS

KEY: PU – Pickup, EC – Extended Cab, CC – Crew Cab, DR – Door, HB – Hatchback, SUV – Sport Utility Vehicle, SW – Station Wagon

Source: NHTSA