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2008 Car Stickers Will Display Crash Ratings
October 5, 2006
TNext year, most passenger vehicles sold in the U.S. will display federal crash and rollover ratings on their window stickers.
Federal officials hope that this will pressure automakers with less safe vehicles to make them safer.
The change will begin with the 2008 model year, and comes as a stipulation of last years highway safety bill. The bill required the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to compose guidelines for displaying crash test results on window stickers.
Though crash test data is available in magazines, published guides, and on the Internet, officials say this change will make the information far more conspicuous. When potential buyers look at the window stickers, not only will they be able to compare stereo systems, they will also be able to see how well a car protects their families, said Senator Mike DeWine, one of the bills sponsors.
Public Citizen president Joan Claybrook said displaying crash test results right under peoples noses along side gas mileage, and the features list will undoubtedly place safety higher up on the list of most carmakers priorities.
Because of a quirk in the legal definition of automobiles, pickup trucks will not be required to display safety information on their window stickers, but General Motors and Ford Motor Co. have already agreed to do it, and other automakers are expected to do the same.
The stickers are to feature a panel in the center showing the models rating on a scale of one to five stars. There will be ratings for head-on collisions, side-impact collisions, and rollover resistance. If there is a specific safety issue with a model (the test dummys head smashed into a window during the test, for instance), there will be a special warning symbol.
Because there are more than 300 models on sale and the NHTSA has a modest budget, not every model will be tested before it goes on sale. Under the new rule, automakers will have 30 days from the time the NHTSA has crash test results to display them on the window sticker.
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