Each year, the New Car Assessment Program tests the cars, trucks and SUVs that will go on sale, then the releases the results in a comprehensive list of government vehicle safety ratings.
Federal tests distinguish among body types, so for example a car that comes in coupe, sedan and wagon variants will have three sets of ratings released.
Each car is tested in head-on, side-impact and rollover accidents with data collected for the safety of each occupant after a given incident.
In each test, a car can receive from one to five stars for each occupant in a given accident scenario.
In addition to crash tests, the government records whether vehicles offer electronic stability control, as well as side curtain and other airbags.
Another organization that does annual crash tests is the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which grades on a scale of good, acceptable, marginal and poor.
