Frontal Crash Testing

Vehicles with crash test dummies buckled in the driver and front passenger seats are crashed into a fixed barrier at 35 mph. This crash test is equivalent to a head-on collision between two identical vehicles each moving at 35 mph. Since the test reflects a crash between two identical vehicles, you can only compare vehicles from the same weight class when looking at frontal crash test ratings.

• 5 Stars = 10 percent or less chance of serious injury
• 4 Stars = 11 percent to 20 percent chance of serious injury
• 3 Stars = 21 percent to 35 percent chance of serious injury
• 2 Stars = 36 percent to 45 percent chance of serious injury
• 1 Star = 46 percent or greater chance of serious injury

Instruments measure the force of impact to each dummy’s head, chest, and legs. The resulting information indicates a belted person’s chances of incurring a serious injury in the event of a crash. A serious injury is one that may be life-threatening and that requires immediate hospitalization.