Vehicle Safety Ratings & What They Mean

Everyone looks at something different when choosing a new car, but the one thing that concerns all drivers is safety. We all want a vehicle that’s as safe as possible and not one with a poor crash rating. At Brunswick Mazda, we want you to be armed with as much information as possible so you can make an informed decision when you make your next vehicle purchase.

New vehicles are tested by agencies: the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The IIHS is a nonprofit, insurance-funded company while the NHTSA is a federal government agency. But put vehicles through rigid tests that cover several safety and crash issues. NHTSA uses a 5-star system with 5 stars the best. The IIHS scores the vehicles as poor, marginal, acceptable or good. You want a vehicle that’s rated good by both organizations.

We invite you to come to our Brunswick dealership, select some vehicles, check out their safety rating and take them out for some test drives.