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NHTSA Tests Understate Rollover, Side Impact Risks, GAO Finds

April 28, 2005
In a report to Congress, the Government Accountability Office warns that vehicle crash tests run by the government are outdated and in need of revision.

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The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) tests may not adequately evaluate the danger of vehicle rollover or side-impacts, the GAO found. NHTSA, a unit of the Department of Transportation, tests vehicles as part of its New Car Assessment Program, which was established to help consumers make safety comparisons.

The report says that the program's system that uses stars to rate vehicles from one to five worked well at one time but too many vehicles now receive a top ranking.

Comparing crash-tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety with the government's tests, the GAO study found that results varied widely.

The GAO recommended that the safety agency develop a test to rate vehicle incompatibility in front and side crashes as well as one that measures how well vehicles protect occupants in a rollover, which isn't addressed in the current rating.

Rollovers are among the most deadly crashes. Given the high risk of fatalities in rollovers, consumer safety advocates have argued that the current government roof-strength and seatbelt-safety standards are inadequate.

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