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NHTSA RELEASES THIRD GROUP OF 1997 FRONTAL CRASH TEST RESULTS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, April 24, 1997
NHTSA 23-97
Contact: Tim Hurd
Tel. No. (202) 366-9550
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today released the third group of crash test results for model year 1997 vehicles.
Included are test results for the Dodge Ram 1500 extended cab pickup, Dodge Dakota extended cab pickup, Toyota RAV4 four-door utility, Toyota Camry four-door, Toyota Tercel two-door, Chevrolet Cavalier two-door, Chevrolet Cavalier four-door, Chevrolet Malibu four-door, Chevrolet Venture van, Chevrolet Tahoe four-door utility, Chevrolet CK pickup, Chevrolet CK extended cab pickup, Ford Escort four-door, and Hyundai Accent four-door. These new test results, along with results for vehicles tested previously that remain valid because the same or essentially the same vehicles are being sold in model year 1997, provide safety information on a total of 146 vehicles.
Vehicles are crashed so that the entire front goes into a fixed barrier at 35 mph. This crash, which is equivalent to a head-on collision between two identical vehicles, each moving at 35 mph, or with a 70 mph closing speed. Instrumented dummies register forces and impacts during the crash, which NHTSA uses to predict frontal head and chest injuries.
The New Car Assessment Program crash test results are reported in a range of one to five stars, with five stars indicating the best crash protection for vehicles within the same weight class. Head and chest data, which indicate the chance of a life-threatening injury, are combined into a single rating, reflected by the number of stars. These represent a vehicle s relative level of crash protection in a head-on collision. Thigh injury, though rarely life-threatening, is also measured in the tests. Such injury can be disabling, and if a high likelihood of thigh injury is shown in the tests, it will be noted in the charts.
Test results show the relative crash protection provided to front seat occupants using all of the vehicle s occupant protection equipment. Occupant protection equipment consists of safety belts, air bags, or a combination of both. The results do not apply to unbelted occupants. The occupant equipment provided on each tested vehicle is shown to the right of the vehicle s overall score.
NHTSA emphasized that the crash test results for frontal impact are meaningful only for comparing relative injury risk in frontal collisions between vehicles of similar weight, within an approximate weight range of 500 pounds. The test results for passenger cars are presented in separate tables for each weight class and listed alphabetically within each table. Separate tables are provided for sport utility vehicles, vans, and light trucks. In head-on collisions involving two vehicles of different weights, occupants in lighter weight vehicles almost always experience greater risk of injury than those in heavier vehicles.
Consumers can obtain more detailed information on these crash results by visiting NHTSA's World Wide Web site or by calling the agency's toll-free Auto Safety Hotline, 800-424-9393.
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