Car crashes result in the deaths of million people every year in the United States. Crash tests became an important counterpoint that were developed in the 1970s. However, advocates say that these tests have not kept pace with new technology and do not include these technologies into their testing, which they believe make these rests unreliable. Advocates are pushing for improvement on these tests to increase consumer safety.
Current Crash Tests
The government conducts its own crash tests as part of its New Car Assessment Program. The results of these tests are published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. However, the chief research officer of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that any test that is established is ripe for cheating and that automakers can design their vehicles to pass the test without actually performing well in real-world scenarios.
To further illustrate this point, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety have recently published a thorough report that claims that the New Car Assessment Program is easily manipulated by automakers who want a five-star rating.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety conducts its own safety tests that serve as a way to fill in the gaps by the federal tests. These tests are different than the federal ones and push manufacturers to exceed the government requirements.
Push for Better Testing
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety are encouraging the federal government to modernize and enhance crash tests. By leaving out current technology from their tests like automatic emergency braking, advocates believe that the tests do not fully depict real-life scenarios.
Additionally, the consumer advocacy group wants the federal government to find ways to improve pedestrian and bike safety. Accidents involving these demographics have increased over the last several years.
Finally, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety want the federal government to develop better crash test dummies. The dummies are designed for different types of crashes, such as rear-end crashes or side crashes. Advocates want the government to upgrade the frontal crash dummy. A dummy called THOR has been constructed after decades of research and may soon be ready to use.
The government is in the process of developing new federal crash tests. Once they are developed, it will ask the public to comment on them before anything is finalized.
