WASHINGTON, DC — Consumer Reports (CR) today commended the U.S. Department of Transportation and its National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for finalizing critical updates to the five-star safety ratings for new cars, known formally as the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). This marks a long-awaited step to enhance federal vehicle safety ratings by incorporating advanced crash avoidance and crashworthiness measures to protect pedestrians. The updates, which were mandated by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will take effect for the 2026 model year, aim to empower consumers with more up-to-date and relevant safety information when purchasing a vehicle.
William Wallace, director of safety advocacy for CR, said, “This is the biggest step forward for the five-star safety ratings since the program was created. Today’s move helps keep pace with new technologies and positions NCAP for long-term success. We commend the Department of Transportation and NHTSA for their work and urge the incoming administration to keep moving forward as envisioned under the roadmaps released today.”
The changes to NCAP include new testing criteria for technologies like pedestrian automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, and blind spot systems. Additionally, a new crashworthiness pedestrian protection program will evaluate how effectively vehicle models reduce pedestrian injury risks in collisions. New midterm and long-term roadmaps outline how NHTSA plans to account for future research findings and advancements in vehicle technologies, including improvements to protect bicyclists and motorcyclists.
Cooper Lohr, senior policy analyst for transportation and safety at CR, said, “Consumer Reports has long advocated for updates to NCAP that reflect the latest innovations in safety technology and better protect people on our roadways—whether they’re inside or outside the vehicle. Today’s announcement shows that NHTSA is listening. While there is much more work to be done, these updates represent meaningful progress that will help save lives and reduce injuries on our nation’s roads.”
CR provided extensive comments during NHTSA’s public input process, both in recent years and in response to previous attempts to update NCAP that were not finalized. CR also emphasized that adding pedestrian crashworthiness testing and updating advanced crash avoidance criteria would encourage automakers to prioritize these features and give consumers better data to guide their purchase decisions.
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Media Contact: Douglas Love, douglas.love@consumer.org