Are you thinking about buying a new or pre-owned ride but want to know if the vehicle is considered safe? The sticker located on the side window of every new vehicle for sale at the Beach Boulevard of Cars includes the current NHTSA safety rating. But what does it mean, and is there more information available?

Check out our quick FAQs on how safety scores work and where you can find all the most recent data.

What is NHTSA?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is operated by the Department of Transportation under the federal government. They regularly test new vehicles to ensure that they meet or surpass safety regulations set out by NHTSA. As time passes, new safety standards and systems are introduced to reduce the number of accidents, injuries, deaths, and property damage on our streets.

How do NHTSA safety ratings work?

A simple 5-star rating system provides an instant snapshot of how a vehicle performed in a test crash situation. One star represents failure, and 5 stars is an excellent score where the occupant received minor or no injury.

There are separate scores for frontal, side impact, and rollover tests. The report breaks out how the car performed for the driver and front passenger area. All the test scores are combined and averaged to create the final star rating.

What is the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety?

Commonly referred to as the IIHS, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is an independent non-profit organization that focuses on providing scientific data for vehicle safety performance in real-world situations. Their scores are based on a different set of crash tests and how multiple safety systems work, such as seat belts, headlights, autonomous braking, and baby seats.

How does IIHS score its safety ratings?

If a new vehicle scores Good or Acceptable in all major categories, the car is awarded a Top Safety Pick. If the vehicle scored Good on the most recent updated side-impact test, it earns the Top Safety Pick+ badge.
The IIHS adjusts its testing criteria every few years as more auto manufacturers reach the Good score on current test models so that the industry can continue to protect more passengers, drivers, and pedestrians.

Checking Your Vehicle’s Safety Score is Fast and Easy

While many different car review sites, magazines, and videos will refer to the safety scores from both the NHTSA and the IIHS, they often don’t break out the stats. Fortunately, it only takes less than a minute to read all the details yourself.

Simply visit https://www.iihs.org/ and https://www.nhtsa.gov/. Enter the year, make, and model of the vehicle you want to check. The page will even let you download the full safety report used to award the final score.

Shop for Your Next Vehicle with Confidence in Huntington Beach

When you are ready to start sitting behind the wheel of a few new or pre-owned cars, come visit us at Beach Boulevard of Cars. Our sales team is happy to set you up with a test drive, provide all the latest safety scores, and find the perfect fit for your driving needs.