NHTSA Updates Vehicle Safety Ratings To Include Advanced Driver Assist Technology

Amid increasing evidence about the importance and life-saving potential of new driver assist technologies in vehicles, like blind spot warnings, automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping assistance, federal highway safety regulators say it is now time to start accounting for them in national crash test ratings for new vehicles.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced this week that it is finalizing updates to the 5-Star Safety Ratings program, to speed up adoption of the new technologies, which are known to reduce the risk of accidents. The updates to the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), were part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021.

The crash ratings will now incorporate assessments of the safety and effectiveness of current and new technologies, crash protections for passengers and pedestrians, and long-term roadmaps for the future of the crash safety program, NHTSA officials stated.

“This action today is another important step toward addressing the crisis on our roads and achieving the Department’s ambitious, long-term goal of zero road fatalities,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “Like our move earlier this year to make automatic emergency braking standard on new passenger cars and light trucks, these changes to the 5-Star Safety Ratings will speed up adoption of technologies that reduce the frequency and severity of crashes while helping consumers make informed decisions about buying a new car.”

The 5-Star Safety program focuses on assessing safety ratings for vehicles on the nation’s roads. The new updates include:

• Adding four advanced driver assistance technologies to improve crash avoidance safety: pedestrian automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, blind spot warning and blind spot intervention
• Updating testing procedures for driver assistance technology that is already a part of NCAP, such as emergency braking
• Adding a pedestrian protection program to evaluate the ability of a vehicle’s front end to reduce pedestrian injuries and deaths during car and pedestrian crashes

Driver Assist Safety Concerns

While new driver assistance technologies have become more accessible in lower-end vehicles, concerns have emerged about the safety of even more advanced technologies now being added to higher-end vehicles, including autonomous driving capabilities.

Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors, was recently ordered to pay $1.5 million in fines after one of their autonomous “self-driving” vehicles hit a pedestrian. The NHTSA determined the company failed to report the incident following several other high-profile Cruise accidents, raising concerns about the safety of “self-driving” cars and placing the company’s technology under scrutiny.

Earlier this year, the NHTSA also launched an investigation into Tesla’s “self-driving” technology, following four pedestrian accidents, including one that led to fatal injuries. More than 2 million vehicles on the road contain the Tesla self-driving systems.

As the technology continues to evolve, the NHTSA says it is focusing on advancing oversight, to help make it safer for passengers and pedestrians, without impeding the development of new features.

Regulators have also established a roadmap for future program changes over the next 10 years. The roadmap includes the framework for ongoing research and incorporating technological advancements in vehicle safety, such as crash avoidance tech and crashworthiness improvements to protect bicyclists and motorcyclists. In addition, the roadmap includes an updated crash safety rating system.

“With these NCAP updates, we’re ensuring consumers have more useful and relevant information on the latest safety technologies and that the program keeps up with the pace of technological change and innovation,” said NHTSA Chief Counsel Adam Raviv.