Trump’s Transportation Department Releases First-Ever Pedestrian Safety Test Results for 2027 Vehicle Models
102 vehicle models from 10 manufacturers met the new pedestrian protection performance criteria
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today released the results of its first pedestrian protection assessments for model year 2027 vehicles as part of the New Car Assessment Program 5-Star Safety Ratings. In the inaugural round, 102 vehicle models from 10 manufacturers met the new performance criteria designed to evaluate how effectively vehicle designs protect pedestrians in a collision.
The tests measure injury risks to the head, hips, legs, and knees using three impact scenarios:
- Child and adult headform impacts to the hood and windshield area
- Upper leg impacts to the hood's leading edge
- Full lower-limb impacts to the bumper
A yellow box on a vehicle’s ratings page will highlight whether it has passed or failed the new pedestrian protection criteria, or whether ratings are pending or not submitted.
“NHTSA’s 5-Star Safety Ratings program is the gold standard. By adding a new category for pedestrian safety, we will help consumers make informed choices when buying a new or used vehicle,” said NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison. “We expect this recognition to spark thoughtful inclusion of new pedestrian safety designs in more models, making new vehicles safer than ever.”
Additional Information
Along with its new pedestrian safety criteria, NCAP continues to evaluate crash protection and advanced safety features helping consumers choose safer vehicles and encouraging automakers to protect drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.
Model year 2027 safety information includes:
- Crashworthiness ratings: Updated performance evaluations for frontal, side, and rollover crash scenarios.
- Crashworthiness pedestrian protection: Assessments detailing how well vehicles protect the head and upper and lower legs of pedestrians in the event of a collision.
- Crash avoidance technology: Evaluations for advanced driver assistance systems, including automatic emergency braking, pedestrian automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, blind spot warning, and blind spot intervention.
Consumers are encouraged to visit NHTSA.gov/ratings to review this safety information, including the new pedestrian safety assessments, for individual vehicle models.