* n' N, D! ]" w v: w1 A# B. Q5 ]) ]How does NHTSA perform the frontal crash rating and how are vehicles rated? ! J/ O k; M# b2 x6 x" v+ L$ U' z, [
For frontal crash ratings, crash-rating dummies representing an average-sized adult are placed in driver and front passenger seats and secured with the vehicle's seat belts. Vehicles are crashed into a fixed barrier at 35 miles per hour (mph), which is equivalent to a head-on collision between two similar vehicles each moving at 35 mph. Since the rating reflects a crash between two similar vehicles, make sure you compare vehicles from the same weight class, plus or minus 250 lbs., when looking at frontal crash star ratings.