Auto manufacturers have a responsibility to keep you safe behind the wheel. To this end, crashworthiness ratings are often awarded to vehicles to help you determine whether or not a model meets your specific safety requirements. That’s why all Tennessee motorists should have an understanding of just how these ratings work to ensure they can make an informed decision when reviewing a prospective vehicle.
According to the National Highway Safety and Traffic Administration, crashworthiness is a determination of just how well a vehicle’s design will protect its occupants in the event of a crash. Crashworthiness testing can focus on many different types of situations and vehicles. For instance, rollover crashes are looked at to establish what sort of design specifications are required to enhance the safety of you and your passengers during these events. Research can also be conducted to determine just how well the safety features of a vehicle perform, particularly when it comes to airbags.
The key to establishing the safety and efficacy of vehicle airbags is to review many different possible scenarios. Testers may look at what happens when a vehicle is traveling at an increased speed, or how well an airbag performs when occupants are not wearing their seatbelts. A vehicle’s total restraint system can also factor into its crashworthiness designation.
Restraint systems are composed of many different components (such as seatbelts, airbags and the seats themselves). These components must work in conjunction to keep you in place during an accident, whether you are traveling in the front or rear of a vehicle. In many cases, changes to existing technology arise as a result of evolving consumer requirements and ongoing regulation.