2017 Mercedes E-Class Crash Test - Better than 5 stars
How safe is this car with a crash test rating 5 stars.
A test government five-star rating should mean that the new car you're eyeing is much safe, right Not so fast, says the Center advocacy group for car safety.
As part of the exit of the car 2016 book by Jack Gillis, the center contends that the scoring system of government is too easy, noting that 99 percent of the 2016 models tested is four stars or the maximum five-star rating .
The question, Gillis said, is that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requires a car to meet certain criteria in testing rather than showing complete comparative scores of vehicles in the same class.
The fact is that each vehicle has a different score, and by the NHTSA results on a relative basis, consumers can easily see who within 10 percent and which are within 10 percent, said Gillis.
He uses the example Ford Fusion midsize sedan and Acura TLX, both have given an overall rating of five stars from NHTSA But the driver of a merger is more than four times more likely to suffer a fatal injury due to a side impact, Gillis told me.
He reached this conclusion by taking data on each test available on the website of NHTSA and put through a complicated calculation to reach a score of 1 to 10 on this scale, Gillis gives the sedan Acura 10 and Ford Fusion 6.
So what should you do if you are shopping for a car and security is very important to you.
Start at the government website If a vehicle you are considering are five star and four or three, which can provide a starting point for your decision.
Get the interpretation Car Book of NHTSA data, a list of the top-rated vehicles in different classes Gillis Pocket Edition is available on Amazon.
Also check the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash tests Its engineers are a small frontal crash test difficult overlap approaches a corner of a car hitting a tree or light pole NHTSA doesn t include this test to get the maximum rating, known as the first choice and the safety of the IIHS, a vehicle must not only have strong results in crash tests, but also offer accident prevention features such as automatic braking to try to avoid an accident with the car right in front.
NHTSA said it is considering improvements to its testing and evaluation, including the addition of a similar crash test to test small overlap IIHS and rating crash avoidance safety equipment The new ratings, starting in 2018 2019 models, give the number of stars independently for impact resistance, preventing accidents and protecting pedestrians when a vehicle hits a pedestrian.
View all articles by Jerry Edgerton on CBS MoneyWatch Jerry Edgerton, author of Car Shopping Made Easy covered the pace of the car since Detroit companies dominated the US market The former columnist for Money magazine and matching Washington Business Week, Edgerton specializes in finding the best deals on wheels and offering advice to your last car.
How safe is this car with a rating of 5star crashtest CBS News, safe, note.