Crashtest is evaluates all the available data on a specific vehicle and assigns it 1 of 5 possible performance ratings. The overall rating is not simply an average of the other scores, because certain categories count more from a safety point of view.
The most significant safety determinant, worth as much as all the others put together, is Weight. It is so important that it would overwhelm all other factors if included in the assessment, so we do not include it in our overall rating. However we strongly recommend that you note BOTH of the last 2 rating categories Weight and Overall, when you consider the ultimate crashworthiness of a particular model.
Overall Ratings Based On Safety
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Weight Class Categories
Crashtest.com does not endorse any particular vehicle type, make or model, however we suggest that you only consider vehicles that have achieved a good or excellent overall rating, that weigh at least 3000 lbs / 1363 kgs or more. |
Full-width frontal impact crash test - NHTSA and OSA currently use this procedure for their full-width frontal impact collisions. The Euro NCAP and Australian NCAP used this test until 1997, when they adopted the more realistic Frontal Offset Crash Test (see below), already used by the IIHS in the US. Dummies are seated in the driver's and front passenger seat. The vehicle crashes head-on into a rigid concrete barrier at 35 mph (56 km/h). Afterwards, researchers measure and evaluate the impact on the dummies' head, chest, and legs. This test provides very high deceleration forces to the test dummies and is particularly well suited to the evaluation of occupant restraint systems such as seat belts and air bags. Of note, however, the damage done to the vehicle itself is not assessed. Frontal offset crash test - In the frontal offset impact test (used by Euro-NCAP, IIHS, and OSA), a vehicle is aligned with a rigid barrier with a deformable aluminum face so that 40% of the width of the vehicle strikes the barrier on the driver's side (10% offset from the centerline - hence offset test). Dummies are seated in the driver's and front passenger seat (driver's seat only in the IIHS tests), and the vehicle runs into the barrier at 64 km/h (40 mph), in order to measure and evaluate the impact on the dummies' head, chest, and legs - as well as to check the condition of the deformed vehicle. This test represents the forces involved in a typical head-on collision of two vehicles weighing the same that are travelling at 64 km/h (40 mph). Because a smaller portion of the vehicle's structure sustains the force, the impact on the dummy is weaker than in a full frontal impact. However there is greater vehicle body deformation, making it suitable for the evaluation of potential injury caused by intrusion to a vehicle's occupants. |
Side impact crash test - In most international side-impact tests, a stationary vehicle with dummies in the driver's and front passenger seat is rammed by a 950 kg (2090 lb) moving trolley with a crushable aluminum face, going 50 km/h (30 mph), directly centered on the driver's seating postition.
The NHTSA test differs from the others in that it's conducted with the trolley's wheels turned 27 degrees to the right, so that the force of the impact comes from a point 63 degrees from the centerline of the test vehicle (although the trolley is facing perpendicular [90 degrees] to the centerline). As with frontal impact testing, the side impact test is conducted at five mph above the federal standard, which means the deformable barrier hits the car at 38 mph (61km/h).
Head Restraints - The IIHS then determines if the front-seat head restraints can be positioned behind and close enough to the back of the head to limit relative head and torso movement in rear-end collisions. A restraint needs to be as high as the head's center of gravity, or 3.5 inches from the top. The distance from the head restraint to the back of the head should be less than 4 inches. Certain models offer different seating options so doublecheck the IIHS ratings if you have optional seating.
The IIHS website provides a comprehensive list of head restraint ratings for North American vehicles. Since over 70% of the vehicles they tested got failing marks, we have decided NOT to include the ratings in our results. However a link is provided on each page that will take you to the IIHS head restraint ratings for each manufacturer (click on the manufacturer's name under the ratings key). Suffice it to say, an overwhelming majority of the highest rated head restraint systems were only available on vehicles manufactured in Europe.
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