| The National Highway Traffic Safety | | | | vehicles is not complete though since the |
| Administration (NHTSA) recently released the | | | | government agency has only tested 63 of the 70 |
| results of the crash and rollover safety tests that | | | | vehicles slated to be tested for the current model |
| they have conducted. The government agency | | | | year. Only 79 percent of the vehicle scheduled to |
| awarded 24 vehicles for the 2007 model year | | | | be available to the public this year has been |
| with its highest safety rating of five stars. These | | | | accounted for and the rest are yet to be tested. |
| 24 vehicles have performed well in both the front | | | | The complete ratings for 2007 models are easily |
| and side crash tests that were conducted by the | | | | accessible to consumers who want to look into a |
| agency. These tests are done in connection with | | | | vehicle's safety ratings before buying one. The |
| the institution's New Car Assessment Program | | | | information can be viewed at where not only the |
| (NCAP). The program is aimed to help the public | | | | current ratings are available but safety ratings for |
| choose which cars are safe and capable of | | | | previous model years. |
| protecting people in the event of a crash. | | | | The National Highway Traffic Safety |
| Of the 24 vehicles that received the five-star | | | | Administration also performed rollover tests on |
| rating from the agency, seven of them are | | | | the 63 vehicles that have already been tested for |
| four-door passenger vehicles. The remaining 17 | | | | front and side crash safety. Of all the vehicles |
| vehicles are four-door sports utility vehicles. The | | | | analyzed, only three vehicles got the highest rating |
| Dodge Caliber, Ford Five Hundred, Kia Optima, | | | | of the agency for rollover resistance. Incidentally, |
| Mercury Montego, Subaru Legacy, Saturn Aura, | | | | none of the 24 vehicles which got five star |
| and the Toyota Camry are the first seven | | | | ratings for front and side crash safety tests also |
| four-door passenger vehicles which have received | | | | got five stars in the rollover safety tests. The |
| the agency's highest rating for front and side | | | | cars that performed satisfactorily in the rollover |
| crash tests. | | | | safety tests are the Mazda6 four-door, the |
| Aside from the aforementioned seven vehicles, | | | | Pontiac Solstice Convertible and another |
| the NHTSA also gave five star ratings to | | | | convertible, the Saturn Sky. These three vehicles |
| seventeen four-door SUVs. These are the Acura | | | | have been engineered for maximum stability that |
| MDX, Acura RDX, Audi Q7, Dodge Nitro, Ford | | | | is why they have the best rollover protection |
| Freestyle, GMC Acadia, Honda CR-V, Honda | | | | among all the vehicles for the 2007 model year. |
| Element, Hyundai Santa Fe, Infiniti FX35/45, Jeep | | | | The agency uses the star rating to give |
| Grand Cherokee, Kia Sorento, Kia Sportage, | | | | consumers an easily understood rating system. |
| Mazda CX-7, Saturn Outlook, Subaru Outback, and | | | | Their evaluation system gives a star for the |
| the Toyota Highlander. | | | | lowest mark and five stars for the highest rating. |
| All the abovementioned vehicles have shown that | | | | This comes to play when comparing the safety |
| their safety features are adequate to protect | | | | of a vehicle against another vehicle. The agency |
| passengers and the driver in the event of a front | | | | will also implement the posting of the star ratings |
| or side collision. Their safety can be compared to | | | | on the windows of vehicles. This use of window |
| that of a vehicle equipped with EBC Redstuff | | | | stickers will be made standard beginning |
| brake pads whose stopping power is a great | | | | September of this year. |
| addition to a car's safety features. The list of | | | | |