NHTSA to Crash Largest Number Of Vehicles Ever for Consumer Info
1 November 2000
NHTSA to Crash Largest Number Of Vehicles Ever for Consumer Information 113 Model Year 2001 Vehicles
WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) today announced it will crash test 113 model year 2001
vehicles to obtain safety information that will help consumers make buying
decisions.
The U. S. Department of Transportation's traffic safety agency said it
will crash test 72 passenger cars, 19 sport utility vehicles, 11 vans, and 11
pickups in its New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Sixty-one vehicles will be
crashed in the frontal direction and 52 vehicles will be crashed from the
side.
Once the crash testing is complete, frontal safety information will be
available to consumers on about 82 percent of the model year 2001 vehicles
sold in the United States. The agency will provide side impact safety
information on about 81 percent of the vehicles sold in the United States. In
real world crashes, vehicles are twice as likely to be involved in severe
frontal crashes as in severe side crashes.
Frontal NCAP
NHTSA crashes vehicles so that the entire front hits 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 35 mph speed of the deformable
barrier is 5 mph faster than the speed prescribed for compliance with the
existing Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard for frontal crash protection.
The crash tests are conducted at the higher speed to demonstrate differences
that are more apparent at 35 mph than at 30 mph.
The NCAP 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 are 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.
Consumers can review test results and additional information on the NCAP
program and other safety topics at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov or the agency's
toll-free Auto Safety Hotline, 800-424-9393, or 202-366-0123 in the Washington
area.
Vehicles Selected for Testing in the 2001 New Car Assessment Program
Manufacturer Vehicle Make and Model Frontal Side
Daewoo Daewoo Leganza 4-dr YES YES
DaimlerChrysler Chrysler LHS 4-dr YES Co
Manufacturer Vehicle Make and Model Frontal Side
DaimlerChrysler Chrysler Sebring Convertible YES YES
DaimlerChrysler Dodge Caravan YES YES
DaimlerChrysler Dodge Dakota PU 4-dr YES YES
DaimlerChrysler Dodge Durango 4-dr Utility YES N/A
DaimlerChrysler Dodge Grand Caravan YES YES
DaimlerChrysler Dodge Grand Caravan w/ side bag YES YES
DaimlerChrysler Dodge Ram PU YES N/A
DaimlerChrysler Dodge Ram Van YES N/A
DaimlerChrysler Dodge Stratus 2-dr YES YES
DaimlerChrysler Dodge Stratus 4-dr YES YES
Ford Ford Crown Victoria 4-dr YES Co
Ford Ford Escape 4-dr Utility YES YES
Ford Ford Expedition 4-dr Utility YES N/A
Ford Ford Explorer 4-dr Utility Co YES
Ford Ford F-150 PU ExCab YES Co
Ford Ford Mustang 2-dr YES Co
Ford Ford Mustang 2-dr Conv. NO YES
Ford Ford Ranger PUExCab YES Co
Ford Ford Supercrew PU 4-dr YES N/A
Ford Ford Windstar Van YES Co
Ford Lincoln LS 4-dr YES YES
Ford Lincoln Town Car 4-dr YES Co
Ford Mercury Cougar 2-dr NO YES
GM Buick Century w/side bags 4-dr Co YES
GM Buick Le Sabre 4-dr YES Co
GM Buick Park Avenue 4-dr YES YES
GM Chevrolet Impala 4-dr YES Co
GM Chevrolet Impala w/side bag 4-dr YES YES
GM Chevrolet Malibu 4-dr YES Co
GM Chevrolet Monte Carlo 2-dr YES YES
GM Chevrolet Suburban 1500 4-dr Utility YES N/A
GM Chevrolet Tahoe 4-dr Utility YES N/A
GM Chevrolet Tracker 2-dr Utility NO YES
GM Chevrolet Tracker 4-dr Utility YES YES
GM Chevrolet Venture Van YES YES
GM Oldsmobile Aurora 4-dr YES YES
GM Oldsmobile Intrigue 4-dr NO YES
GM Pontiac Aztek 4-dr Utility YES YES
GM Pontiac Grand Am 2-dr YES Co
GM Pontiac Grand Prix 4-dr YES YES
Manufacturer Vehicle Make and Model Frontal Side
Honda Acura 3.2TL 4-dr YES YES
Honda Honda Accord 2-dr YES Co
Honda Honda Accord 2dr w/ side bag YES YES
Honda Honda Accord 4-dr YES Co
Honda Honda Civic 2-dr YES YES
Honda Honda Civic 2-dr w/ side bag YES YES
Honda Honda Civic 4-dr YES YES
Honda Honda Civic 4-dr w/ side bag YES YES
Honda Honda Insight 2-dr Co YES
Honda Honda S 2000 Convertible NO YES
Hyundai Hyundai Accent 4-dr NO YES
Hyundai Hyundai Elantra 4-dr YES YES
Kia Kia Rio 4-dr NO YES
Kia Kia Sephia 4-dr YES YES
Mazda Mazda Millenia 4-dr w/side bag NO YES
Mazda Mazda MX-5 Miata Convertible YES YES
Mazda Mazda Protege 4-dr YES Co
Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Galant 4-dr Co YES
Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Montero Sport 4-dr Utility YES YES
Nissan Nissan Frontier PU 4-dr YES YES
Nissan Nissan Maxima 4-dr YES YES
Nissan Nissan Pathfinder 4-dr Utility Co YES
Nissan Nissan Quest Van YES Co
Nissan Nissan Sentra 4-dr YES YES
Subaru Subaru Forester 4-dr YES YES
Toyota Lexus IS300 4-dr YES YES
Toyota Lexus RX300 4-dr Utility YES YES
Toyota Toyota 4-Runner 4-dr Utility YES Co
Toyota Toyota Avalon 4-dr YES Co
Toyota Toyota Celica 2dr YES YES
Toyota Toyota Echo 4-dr YES YES
Toyota Toyota Prius 4-dr YES YES
Toyota Toyota RAV4 4-dr Utility YES NO
Toyota Toyota Sienna Van Co YES
Toyota Toyota Tacoma PU Ex Cab YES Co
Toyota Toyota Tundra PU ExCab YES N/A
Volkswagen Audi TT Roadster NO YES
Volvo Volvo S60 4-dr YES YES
Volvo Volvo S80 4-dr YES Co
N/A -- These vehicles exceed the GVWR established in FMVSS No. 214.
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 2000).
