NHTSA Will Crash Test 63 Model Year 1999 Vehicles
30 November 1998
NHTSA Will Crash Test 63 Model Year 1999 Vehicles WASHINGTON, Nov. 27 -- The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) today announced it will crash test 63 model year 1999
vehicles to help garner information that will help consumers make buying
decisions, including, for the first time, results of side impact crash tests
of sport utility vehicles, minivans and pickup trucks.
"Safety is President Clinton's highest transportation priority," U.S.
Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater said. "These tests will help
provide safety information for consumers shopping for family transportation."
The U.S. Department of Transportation's safety agency said it will crash
test 26 passenger cars, 18 sport utility vehicles, 7 vans, and 12 pickups in
its New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Thirty-two vehicles will be crashed in
the frontal direction and 31 vehicles will be crashed from the side. Once the
crash testing is completed, NHTSA estimates that frontal safety information
can be provided to consumers on 70 percent of the model year 1999 vehicles
sold in the USA. The agency will provide side impact safety information on
about 80 percent of the vehicles sold in the USA.
"These tests help give consumers the information needed to choose the best
vehicle safety protection for themselves and their families," said Dr. Ricardo
Martinez, NHTSA administrator.
Frontal NCAP
Vehicles are crashed so that the entire front goes into a fixed barrier at
35 mph. This crash is equivalent to a head-on collision between two identical
vehicles, each moving at 35 mph, or with a 70 mph closing speed. Instrumented
dummies register forces and impacts during the crash, which NHTSA uses to
predict frontal head and chest injuries.
The New Car Assessment Program crash test results are reported in a range
of one to five stars, with five stars indicating the best crash protection for
vehicles within the same weight class. Head and chest data, which indicate the
chance of a life-threatening injury, are combined into a single rating,
reflected by the number of stars. These represent a vehicle's relative level
of crash protection in a head-on collision. Thigh injury, though rarely
life-threatening, is also measured in the tests. Such injury can be disabling,
and if a high likelihood of thigh injury occurs in the tests, it will be noted
in the charts.
Test results show the relative crash protection provided to front seat
occupants using all of the vehicle's occupant protection equipment. Occupant
protection equipment consists of safety belts or a combination of safety belts
and air bags. The results do not apply to unbelted occupants. The occupant
protection equipment provided on each tested vehicle is shown to the right of
the vehicle's overall score.
NHTSA emphasized that the crash test results for frontal impact are
meaningful only for comparing relative injury risk in frontal collisions
between vehicles of similar weight, within an approximate weight range of 500
pounds. The test results for passenger cars are presented in separate tables
for each weight class and listed alphabetically within each table. Separate
tables are provided for sport utility vehicles, vans, and light trucks. In
head-on collisions involving two vehicles of different weights, occupants in
lighter weight vehicles almost always experience greater risk of injury than
those in heavier vehicles.
Side NCAP
The federal safety agency said the side crash used to test these vehicles
simulates a typical intersection collision between two vehicles. In the tests,
forces are measured on two crash dummies when a moving, deformable barrier is
angled into the side of a car at 38.5 mph.
The 38.5 mph speed of the deformable barrier is 5 mph faster than the
speed prescribed for compliance with the existing Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No. 214, "Side Impact Protection." The crash tests are conducted at
the higher speed to demonstrate differences that are more apparent at 38.5 mph
than at 33.5 mph. The test results will be presented in a "star" format -- one
to five stars, with five stars being the best score -- to make the technical
crash results easy for consumers to understand.
Crash-test dummies -- designed specifically to measure human-like
responses in the side direction -- are placed in the driver position and in
the rear seat position behind the driver. As in the frontal test, the two
dummies are secured with all available restraints. Instruments measure the
force of impact to the dummy's chest and pelvis. The chest data, which
indicate the chance of life-threatening injury, are signified in a single
rating reflected by the number of stars. Pelvic injury also is measured. If
a high likelihood of pelvic injury occurs in the lateral test, it will be
noted in the charts. In reviewing the front and lateral star ratings, keep in
mind that, in real world crashes, vehicles are twice as likely to be involved
in severe frontal crashes as in severe side crashes.
Consumers can see test results and additional information on the NCAP
program and other safety topics by visiting the Web site at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov
or by calling the agency's toll-free Auto Safety Hotline at (800) 424-9393, or
(202) 366-0123 in the Washington area.
Vehicles Selected for Testing in the 1999 New Car Assessment Program
Made by Make Model Body Style Frontal Side
Chrysler Dodge Dakota PU ExCab NO YES
Chrysler Dodge Durango 4-dr Utility YES NO
Chrysler Dodge Grand Caravan Van YES YES
Chrysler Dodge Intrepid 4-dr YES YES
Chrysler Dodge Ram PU Quad Cab YES NO
Chrysler Jeep Cherokee 4-dr Utility YES YES
Chrysler Jeep Grand Cherokee 4-dr Utility YES YES
Chrysler Jeep Wrangler 2-dr Utility YES NO
Ford Ford Econoline Van YES NO
Ford Ford Expedition 4-dr Utility YES NO
Ford Ford Explorer 4-dr Utility CO YES
Ford Ford F-150 PU YES YES
Ford Ford Ranger PU CO YES
Ford Ford Windstar Van NO YES
Ford Lincoln Town Car 4-dr NO YES
GM Buick Century 4-dr YES CO
GM Chevrolet Blazer 4-dr Utility YES YES
GM Chevrolet Lumina 4-dr YES CO
GM Chevrolet S-10 PU ExCab YES YES
GM Chevrolet Silverado PU ExCab YES NO
GM Chevrolet Tahoe 4-dr Utility YES NO
GM Chevrolet Venture Van YES YES
GM Oldsmobile Intrigue 4-dr YES CO
GM Pontiac Grand Am 4-dr YES YES
GM Saturn SL 4-dr YES CO
Honda Honda Accord 2-dr CO YES
Honda Honda Civic 2-dr YES CO
Honda Honda Civic 4-dr YES CO
Honda Honda CR-V 4-dr Utility CO YES
Hyundai Hyundai Elantra 4-dr YES YES
Isuzu Isuzu Rodeo 4-dr Utility CO YES
Mazda Mazda 626 4-dr YES CO
Mazda Mazda Protege 4-dr YES YES
Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Galant 4-dr YES YES
Nissan Nissan Altima 4-dr YES CO
Nissan Nissan Frontier PU YES YES
Nissan Nissan Pathfinder 4-dr Utility YES YES
Toyota Toyota 4-Runner 4-dr Utility YES YES
Toyota Toyota Camry 4-dr CO YES
Toyota Toyota Corolla 4-dr CO YES
Toyota Toyota RAV4 4-dr Utility CO YES
Toyota Toyota Sienna Van CO YES
Toyota Toyota Solara 2-dr NO YES
Toyota Toyota Tacoma PU ExCab YES YES
Volkswagen Beetle 2-dr YES YES YES
Volvo Volvo S-80 4-dr NO YES
CO -- Carry-over vehicles (results for vehicles tested previously that
remain valid because the manufacturers are selling the same or essentially the
same vehicles in model year 1999.)
