The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently announced a proposal to upgrade the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) for 2020.
The NCAP, which was established in 1979, crash tests vehicles and then ranks them on a 5-star scale to inform consumers on a vehicle’s safety performance.
Upgrades will include updates to vehicle labeling, continued consumer research, advancements in crash-test dummies, and new testing procedures. NHTSA also will consider new technologies regarding the safety of vulnerable road users such as cyclists and pedestrians.
“Our program has been a tremendous success and has saved many lives, but far too many American families still lose loved ones every year, and we firmly believe that vehicles can and should be even safer in the future,” NHTSA Acting Administrator James Owens said. “That is why NHTSA is working on improving the program to make the 5-Star Safety Ratings Program even more dynamic, and to accelerate NCAP modernization to keep pace with advancements in safety technology. American car buyers want safety, and NHTSA wants to help by creating additional market-based incentives for automakers to continue investing in innovative safety technologies that will save lives and prevent injuries.”
NHTSA will publish a Federal Register Notice next year and seek public comments.