Government Crash Test Ratings To Be Put On Stickers

You’re about to see the first change to dealer window stickers in many years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has mandated that government crash test ratings be printed on the sticker by September 2007. But if you’re in the market for a car now, you can get all the information you need online.

Despite that, the new regulation will make crash test ratings more accessible.

“They’ll be able to go from car to car and compare that data,” said Sen. Mike DeWine, who created the legislation, called “Stars on Cars.”

But not everyone agrees on the usefulness of the NHTSA’s rating methods. The Government Accountability Office accused the five star rating of being vague.

Consumer Reports, in particular, criticizes the administration’s approval of cars that tip in rollover tests. The NHTSA rewards half a star to a vehicle that doesn’t tip, but does not penalize the vehicle for tipping.

Another critic of the five star program is the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, who conducts their own safety tests. The IIHS tends to be much stricter in their own tests than the NHTSA. No car without side air bags is given better than a “poor” rating. The IIHS also compares a vehicle to those in different classes, while the NHTSA compares a vehicle only to those of a similar class.

So what’s the key to finding the true safety of a vehicle? Like almost any other investment, diversity is the smart choice. The BuyingAdvice team recommends comparing the crash test ratings provided by the NHTSA, the IIHS, and Consumer Reports, in order to get the full picture.

It may seem like a lot of trouble, but if you’re ever the victim of an accident, you’ll be glad you did your homework.

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