GOVERNMENT 5-STAR SAFETY RATINGS
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is the agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation
that conducts safety tests to determine how well new vehicles protect drivers and passengers during a crash, how
well vehicles resist rollovers, and whether vehicles equipped with the latest safety technologies can help drivers avoid
Each year, NHTSA tests new cars, trucks, sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and vans and rates them using the 5-Star Safety
Ratings system. Five stars indicate the highest safety rating and one star the lowest.
Most injury-causing crashes that occur on America’s roadways are either frontal or side crashes, and more than one-quarter
of passenger vehicle crash deaths occur in rollovers. Although it is impossible to determine how well vehicles protect drivers
and passengers in all types of crashes, the ratings help car buyers compare safety features and crash performance across different
The results of NHTSA’s tests, along with information about the 5-Star Safety Ratings and vehicle safety features are available in this
brochure. And remember: more stars mean safer cars.