The safety of a vehicle is paramount for drivers and passengers alike. To help consumers make informed decisions, systems like the Overall Vehicle Score have been developed. This score, often represented as a star rating, is calculated considering probabilities of injury from frontal, side, and rollover crashes. It’s designed to reflect real-world injury risks and compare a vehicle’s safety against the average risk across all vehicles.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ indicates that the overall injury risk is much less than average.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ signifies an overall injury risk that is less than average to average.
⭐⭐⭐ suggests the injury risk is average to greater than average.
⭐⭐ means the injury risk is greater than average.
⭐ denotes that the overall injury risk is much greater than average.
However, using these scores effectively, especially with an Auto Compare Tool, requires understanding their limitations. A critical point is that Overall Vehicle Scores are directly linked to frontal crash test ratings and can only be meaningfully compared between vehicles in the same class and within a weight range of plus or minus 250 pounds.
For instance, comparing the safety score of a 4,500-pound SUV to a 3,000-pound sedan would be inappropriate due to class and weight differences. Similarly, comparing a 3,600-pound pickup to a 3,400-pound van, while within the weight range, is also invalid because they are different vehicle classes. Accurate comparisons are only valid between vehicles of the same class and similar weight, such as comparing a 3,400-pound passenger car to another passenger car weighing 3,650 pounds.
Therefore, when utilizing an auto compare tool for vehicle safety, it’s crucial that the tool is designed to respect these comparison boundaries. An effective auto compare tool must not only present the Overall Vehicle Score but also contextualize it by ensuring comparisons are made only between vehicles of comparable class and weight. This nuanced approach ensures that consumers receive accurate and relevant safety information to aid their vehicle purchasing decisions.
