Stars On Cars Help Customers Judge Vehicles Based On Safety Ratings (NAPSA)—Since September 1, automotive consumers have had another valuable tool to help them make informed choices regarding the safety of the vehicles they’re considering buying. The new law, part of a provision in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s 2005 Highway Bill, “Stars on Cars,” requires automakers to post the results of both crash test and rollover rat- ings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on all 2008 vehicle window stickers. |i : ores . "Pag, oy “ee, E ‘ ———— = ; a Fronty 7a5h — F 4 es ; eas 7 TO AL Map er ; (len 28.265 a cy | Sigeie Crash } a PaSSenoe, haber Front Seai 2. i AA ay ee "0 BTS oTCae “ Drivas ve innings ny wt Hii =e teen, Seat cee | ie Plover : Sag . * ; cinak 7 aay “Mt ea * TRE Customers can now view the government’s safety ratings on More than a year ahead of the government’s September 1 deadline, Ford Motor Company has been posting the government’s vehicle windowstickers.It’s part “We’ve supported thelegislation since it was first proposed,” said James Vondale, director, Automotive Safety Office, Ford Motor Company. “It provides consumers with important informa- become a much bigger part of the safety ratings on many of its vehicles. tion at the point of purchase and helps show that we have many vehicles with excellent crash test ratings.” The law is called Stars on Cars because of the star-rating system NHTSA uses to test and rate new cars in front and side crash tests and in rollover avoidance tests. of a federal law known as“Stars On Cars.” “According to several studies in the marketplace, safety has buying decision because it helps consumers make a more informed decision at the dealership and it encouragesall of us to continue to enhancevehicle safety,” he said. In 2006, more than a year before required, Ford began placing the safety ratings on various vehicle window stickers—also known as Monroneylabels. The vehicles included the Ford Explorer, Mercury Mountaineer sport utility vehicles, SportTrac, Five stars indicate the best possi- the Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego large family cars— within the same weightclass. possible five-star ratings in the ble safety rating for vehicles The NHTSA crash results are posted on the window sticker alongside information that is already provided, such as the manufacturer’s retail price, safety and convenience features and EPA fuel economy. Vondale said Stars on Cars is a win-win for both Ford andits customers. all of which earned the highest crash test categories. In addition to earning five-star crash test ratings, several vehi- cles—including the Ford Five Hundred, Mercury Montego and the new 2008 Taurus, Sable and the Taurus X crossover—also earned Top Safety Pick ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
