Understanding vehicle safety ratings is crucial when choosing a new car. Tools designed to compare cars often present an “Overall Vehicle Score,” but what does this score really mean, and how should you interpret it using a Cars Compare Tool? This article breaks down the Overall Vehicle Score to help you make informed decisions.
The Overall Vehicle Score is presented as a star rating, typically from one to five stars. This rating is calculated by considering the probabilities of injury in different types of crashes: frontal impacts, side impacts, and rollovers. These probabilities are weighted to reflect how frequently each type of accident occurs in the real world. The result is then compared to the average risk of injury across all vehicles. This comparison determines whether a specific vehicle poses a higher or lower injury risk than the average car on the road.
Here’s how to interpret the star ratings you might find on a cars compare tool:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: Injury risk is much less than average.
⭐⭐⭐⭐: Injury risk is less than average to average.
⭐⭐⭐: Injury risk is average to greater than average.
⭐⭐: Injury risk is greater than average.
⭐: Injury risk is much greater than average.
However, it’s vital to understand the limitations of comparing Overall Vehicle Scores directly between all vehicles using a cars compare tool. Because the Overall Vehicle Score is partially based on frontal crash test ratings, comparisons are only valid between vehicles in the same class and with a weight difference of no more than 250 pounds.
For example, when using a cars compare tool, you should not compare:
- A 4,500-pound SUV with a 3,000-pound sedan. These are different vehicle classes and exceed the weight difference limit.
- A 3,600-pound pickup truck with a 3,400-pound minivan. While the weight difference is within range, they are different vehicle classes.
It is accurate to compare:
- A 3,400-pound passenger car with a 3,650-pound passenger car. These vehicles are in the same class and the weight difference is acceptable.
Therefore, when utilizing a cars compare tool to assess safety, always ensure you are comparing vehicles within the same class and similar weight range to get a meaningful understanding of their relative safety performance based on the Overall Vehicle Score. This ensures you are making fair and relevant comparisons for safer car choices.
