DOT 05-07
Monday, January 8, 2007
Contact: Sarah Echols
Tel.: (202) 366-4570

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters Announces Plans to Improve Vehicle Crash Tests and Five Star Rating Program

DETROIT, MI – The federal government would improve its automobile crash tests and strengthen its five-star vehicle safety rating system under a plan unveiled today by U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters during a visit to the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, MI.

Under the improvements suggested for the five-star safety rating program – known as the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) - vehicles will be subjected to more stringent rollover, frontal and side crash tests. Secretary Peters added that the new proposal could include, for the first time, ratings for crash avoidance technologies like electronic stability control, adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning systems.

“Safety is not a static concept. Our approach to constantly improving vehicle safety can’t be either. Every day, we’re working hard to raise the bar on auto safety” said Secretary Peters. “Our proposals not only improve overall vehicle safety, they provide better, more useful information for consumers.”

The NCAP proposal lays out short and long-term strategies to not only improve overall vehicle safety, but to provide better, more useful information to help consumers make more informed decisions when they buy cars, trucks, or SUVs. The Secretary announced plans to hold a public meeting on March 7 in Washington, D.C., to provide the public with an opportunity to provide input and ask questions.

For nearly 30 years, Secretary Peters said, NCAP has been the catalyst for encouraging major safety improvements to new car design. Consumer demand has driven more manufacturers to design passenger vehicles that are safer than ever before. But even with those high standards, she said, more than 40,000 people still lose their lives in car crashes on America’s roads each year.

“We can never become complacent about saving the lives of our loved ones and we must be willing to evolve along with the times and technology,” Secretary Peters said. “And that’s exactly what the recommendations that we release today seek to do.”

Each year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) performs rollover and crash tests on new cars and trucks and assigns them with a safety rating. Five stars is the top rating. Today, 95 percent of new cars received the top ratings in crash tests.

To view the full report, please click on http://www.safercar.gov/newcarassessmentenhancements-2007.pdf. For further information on the current NCAP program please go to www.safercar.gov.