New “Stars on Cars” Rule Announced Today Will Help Consumers Evaluate Safety of New Cars

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
September 7, 2006

NHTSA 08-06
Thursday, September 7, 2006
Contact: Heather Hopkins
Telephone: (202) 366-9550

Manufacturers will display the government's star safety ratings on every new vehicle with a price sticker, according to a federal rule made final today in Washington, DC. The rule announced by National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator Nicole Nason and Ohio Senator Mike DeWine, provides for an expanded window sticker meant to provide consumers with safety rating information about new vehicles.

The rule requires that NHTSA’s star safety rating information be displayed on part of the window sticker on new cars beginning with the 2008 model year. Consumers will be able to measure the safety information by the number of stars on the sticker.

The new vehicle price stickers will contain NHTSA safety ratings in three areas – front and side crash and non-destructive rollover tests. All three tests use the five-star rating, with five stars being the safest.

“Senator DeWine, a strong advocate for highway safety, has done a great service for consumers by demanding that vehicle safety information be included on the sticker as well,” said Nason. “By making safety a selling point, it is my hope that this rule will encourage the faster development of these kinds of technologies.”

Senator DeWine was the sponsor of the legislation creating the “Stars on Cars” program, which was included in the 2005 highway bill. "This measure just makes sense. By placing safety ratings directly on new car window stickers, consumers will have the ability to make more informed decisions right there on the car sales lot," said Senator DeWine.

NHTSA safety ratings can be seen at: www.safercar.gov. The “Stars on Cars” requirements can be seen here.