Government to test 55 vehicles under tougher system

David Shepardson / Detroit News Washington Bureau

Washington -- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today said it would crash test 55 2011 car models under its tougher five-star safety ratings program.

The revised system will give drivers a single overall score for the first time -- and will also add information about whether vehicles have advanced safety features, such as lane departure and forward collision warning systems.

The first batch of the 55 tests will be released in September. Automakers are worried that some vehicles will get lower scores -- a move that could reduce sales -- especially as safety has grown among issues raised by new car buyers.

Among the vehicles to be tested are the Ford Fusion and Taurus, Toyota Camry, Chevrolet Malibu, Ford F-150, Honda Accord, Dodge Caliber and Chevrolet Cruze.

"The vehicles we are announcing today will be the first ones tested under the department's tougher, more rigorous five-star ratings program," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said. "This new testing program significantly raises the safety bar for all vehicle manufacturers."

In an interview in April, NHTSA Administrator David Strickland said NHTSA's new program will test vehicles accounting for 72 percent of auto sales -- versus 85 percent of the 2010 model vehicles by volume for its five-star New Car Assessment Program.

NHTSA said today that it had revised its estimate -- and that its tests will cover just 55 to 60 percent of 2011 vehicles.

It will take a few years to get back to the mid-80 percent range, Strickland said.

"If we tested every car in the United States, we would crash Ferraris and Maseratis," Strickland said. "A low-volume car that's worth $250,000 may not be the best use of our resources."

In December 2008, the Bush administration delayed the new tests for an additional year.

Then-NHTSA Administrator David Kelly said the agency made the decision because of the complexity of designing vehicles to meet the new tests. The new rating system will begin with the 2011 model year, rather than 2010 as was previously announced.

In July 2008, then-Transportation Secretary Mary Peters unveiled a major overhaul of the government's five-star crash test program. It requires new crash-test dummies, new injury criteria and a new side impact pole test that simulates wrapping a vehicle around a tree. The frontal crash test will now include an assessment of knee, hip and thigh injuries.

And, for the first time, NHTSA will use a crash-test dummy representing a small woman sitting in the front passenger seat.

NHTSA said in 2008 that some current four or five star-rated vehicles "may go to two stars."

The government will post results at www.safercar.gov.