Car Safety Guide

All vehicles sold in the U.S. have to meet the minimum safety standards set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the federal regulatory body for cars. Per NHTSA, "These requirements are specified in such a manner that the public is protected against unreasonable risk of crashes occurring as a result of the design, construction, or performance of motor vehicles."

Braking tests evaluate the shortest distance that a vehicle can come to a full stop on dry and wet pavement from 60 mph, like you might need to do on the highway.

This test measures how well your vehicle can avoid a road hazard to help prevent a crash.

Our expert judgment of handling in day-to-day driving, including steering response, agility, and how much the vehicle leans in turns.

Rollaway Prevention is our assessment of whether a vehicle has the potential to roll away when the ignition is turned off, but the gear selector hasn't been shifted into Park.

Small Overlap Front Crash Test definition: "The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts crash tests that go beyond the federal safety standards. The small overlap front test represents a crash in which the front corner of a vehicle collides with another vehicle or a narrow object like a tree or utility pole. IIHS rates vehicles as Good, Acceptable, Marginal, or Poor."

The pedestrian front crash prevention evaluation, conducted by IIHS, simulates common daytime and nighttime pedestrian collisions that occur when an adult or child attempts to cross the road or when an adult is walking in the travel lane in the same direction as the flow of traffic. IIHS rates vehicles as Good, Acceptable, Marginal, or Poor.

This test, conducted by IIHS, simulates a vehicle being hit in the side by an SUV. The new barrier weighs 4,200 pounds—close to the weight of today’s midsize SUVs—and strikes the test vehicle at 37 mph, compared with a 3,300-pound barrier traveling at 31 mph in the original evaluation. The IIHS rates vehicles as Good, Acceptable, Marginal, or Poor.

This is the measurement of how much a car weighs without passengers or cargo. Lightweight vehicles tend to fare poorly for crash protection against larger vehicles.

These systems have the ability to detect pedestrians and cars, issue a warning to the driver, and if necessary, automatically apply the brakes to reduce speed to lessen injuries and potentially avoid impact.

The seat belt reminder system is designed to remind the front passenger to buckle up and alert the driver if that passenger unbuckles during a trip.

Power from the engine is sent to the front (FWD), rear (RWD), or all four wheels (4WD, AWD). RWD-only vehicles may be more difficult to control in certain situations.

This test, conducted by IIHS, simulates a vehicle being hit in the side by an SUV. The new barrier weighs 4,200 pounds—close to the weight of today’s midsize SUVs—and strikes the test vehicle at 37 mph, compared with a 3,300-pound barrier traveling at 31 mph in the original evaluation. The IIHS rates vehicles as Good, Acceptable, Marginal, or Poor.

The moderate overlap front test, conducted by IIHS, represents an offset crash between two vehicles traveling in opposite directions at about 40 mph each. It was updated in 2022 to incorporate back seat protection by including injury measurements from a rear-seated dummy behind the driver, representing a small woman or 12-year-old child. The IIHS rates vehicles as Good, Acceptable, Marginal, and Poor. Frontal crash-test results can ONLY be compared among vehicles of similar weight.

These AEB systems work at highway speeds (above 55 mph). According to IIHS data, this technology reduces rear-end collisions by up to 50 percent when a vehicle is also equipped with forward collision warning (FCW), which alerts drivers to a hazard ahead, allowing them to brake or swerve in time.

Using sensors, BSW detects vehicles in adjacent lanes and alerts the driver to their presence, reducing lane-change crashes with injuries by 23 percent, according to data from the IIHS and Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI).

When the car is in Reverse, RCTW uses sensors to detect vehicles (and often pedestrians) approaching from either side and warns the driver of their presence. According to the IIHS, RCTW reduces this kind of crash by 22 percent.

Our expert evaluation of the ease-of-use of the interior features necessary for everyday driving. Good usability means fewer distractions that take a driver's eyes off the road.