Understanding Vehicle Safety Ratings

Piazza Honda of Reading knows that vehicle safety ratings are important to drivers in Reading. Understanding what these ratings mean can help you decide which car to buy. The process of rating vehicles for safety generally follows a specific pattern which awards 1-5 stars for different areas.

Most safety inspections are governed by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The NHTSA performs crash tests and uses those tests to deliver ratings. The safest cars get 5 stars, while those with poor safety test results are awarded 1 or 2-star ratings. The crash tests are performed on several different parts of the car.

Tests include a frontal crash test, side barrier test, side pole test, and rollover test. The NHTSA also inspects and rates the various safety features that are included on a vehicle. These can include rear cameras and vehicle collision warning systems in the front and rear.