CRASH-TESTS IN THE USA

Our company has recently visited one of the crash-test sites in California. Now we want to share with you some important information about crash-tests, which may help you while choosing a car. 

WHAT IS CRASH-TEST

The crash-tests help to detect defects in the security system of a car and change the design of the car in such a way as to minimize the risks to the life of a driver or a passenger.

Crash tests are expensive - a dummy alone costs $ 2,000. Therefore, not all cars pass the tests, but only 20% of the entire car market, including sports and luxury cars.

OFFICIAL TESTS IN THE USA

In the US, just two organizations make up the safety ratings of new cars. The official data are the data of the governmental organization “National Highway Traffic Safety Administration” (NHTSA) - subdivisions of the transport department of the country. Alternative research is conducted by the independent Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), created by the American Association of Insurance Companies. It should be noted that with different methods the results are almost the same. And both organizations officially declare that their tests do not in any way refute, but only complement each other.

The US government NHTSA specialists conduct frontal crash tests with full overlap at a speed of 35 mph (56 km/h). Moreover, unlike the methodology adopted by EuroNCAP, a car crashes into a hard, indestructible barrier, in other words, into a concrete wall. The total deformation of the body during such an impact is less than in a collision with a crushable obstacle with a partial 40% overlap (as is customary in Europe), but the overloads that the driver and the passenger experience at the moment of impact are much higher. By the way, the standard American dummy for tests weighs 85 kg - 10 kg more than the European one, although they are equal in height (178 cm) and other dimensions.

NHTSA front crash test scores are also stars. The highest - five, the lowest - one. Moreover, the official test report provides a detailed interpretation of these values. Five stars means that the risk of getting a serious injury in an accident is less than 10%. One star - the probability of injury exceeds 46%. But again, unlike in Europe, driver safety and passenger safety receive their own marks, which are not necessarily the same. Their results are not averaged! 

The NHTSA side crash tests are carried out at a speed of 38.5 mph (62 km/h). A moving barrier with a crushable coating that simulates the frontal part of another car crashes into a fixed vehicle on the driver’s side. According to the rules, the dummy driver and the passenger dummy sitting behind him are in the test car at the moment. Grades are also set separately. But in this case, the car gets five stars, if the probability of a dangerous injury does not exceed 5%. One star indicates that the risk to life is more than 26%.

In addition to these tests, the program also includes a rollover test. Experts find out how likely it is that the car will turn over as a result of a sharp maneuver. This test was included in the program in 2004, and earlier the danger was determined mathematically, based on the height of the center of gravity of the car.

The rollover test is carried out on dry road. The car (with the help of automatics) accelerates to a speed of 50 mph (80 km/h), after which the mechanical device sharply turns the steering wheel to the left by 270 degrees, and then to the right by 540. Approximately as it happens during the “reset” maneuver when the driver tries to drive around an obstacle appeared unexpectedly before him, and then returns to his lane. The rating is also set in stars, which are complemented by a probability value in percent. According to representatives of NHTSA, two stars, which mean that the chance to roll over is 30-40% - is quite a good indicator of security.

That’s why we advise you to find the crash-test information about a car you are going to buy to be sure you have chosen a safe and reliable car.