w*********e
发帖数: 5286 | 1 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748703843804575533961959252030.html
By JOSH MITCHELL
Tougher government crash tests for the 2011 model year are making it harder
for car makers to win coveted "5-star" safety ratings for their vehicles,
which they widely tout in ads.
The U.S. Transportation Department on Tuesday formally launched a more
rigorous system for grading car safety. The new system for the first time
gives vehicles one overall safety rating, as well as various subratings,
with one star for the worst and five stars for the best.
The system, which applies to cars and light trucks starting in the current
2011 model year, means fewer top safety ratings. In effect, too many
vehicles were getting top scores on the government's previous crash tests,
so regulators made the tests harder.
For the first time, the tests use crash-test dummies to gauge the impact of
a crash on women, not just men.
The tests also simulate a crash into a pole on the driver's side, and the
ratings will note for the first time whether cars contain certain accident-
prevention technologies, such as electronic stability control.
Some industry officials are concerned that consumers could be confused by
the change, since ratings for vehicles from the 1990 through 2010 model
years won't be comparable with those issued under the new, more-demanding
system.
The U.S. plans to test about 55 vehicles from the 2011 model year under the
new system. Of the 33 tested so far, only two achieved an overall score of
five stars: BMW AG's BMW 5 Series and Hyundai Motor Co.'s Sonata.
That compares with 99 models from the 2010 model year that received five
stars in both the front and side crash tests.
Some vehicles that are largely the same for 2011 as they were in 2010 will
get lower scores. Ford Motor Co.'s Taurus, which won a five-star front crash
rating for 2010, earned only four stars for 2011 in both frontal crashes
and overall safety. The 2011 Toyota Motor Corp. Camry received three stars
for its front crash rating, and three stars overall. For 2010, Camry earned
a five-star front-crash rating and five-star side-crash rating.
Toyota—which recalled millions of vehicles this year for safety concerns—
said in a statement it anticipated the ratings could go down under the new
system. "Toyota engineers are investigating measures to further enhance
safety performance so Camry again obtains outstanding assessment results
under the new rating system," the company said.
Transportation Department officials said the old system had become obsolete.
The initiative to make the tests and the scoring tougher began in 2008
under the Bush administration.
Improvements in vehicle design and safety technology, along with better
driving habits such as increased use of seat belts, contributed to a
reduction in traffic deaths last year to the lowest level since 1950.
"We're just trying to make the manufacturers stretch" even more to make cars
safer, said David Strickland, chief of the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration.
The car industry hasn't taken a position on the new system, but officials
said they understood the rationale. "It's like in high school, when every
student gets an A, you want to switch the test," said Wade Newton, a
spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.
But with some cars seeing their scores drop, even though the car hasn't
changed, makers are worried that might affect sales. Another issue they cite
is the dearth of five-star ratings.
"There is a small number of consumers who say, 'I won't buy it unless it's
five stars,'" said Daniel Ryan, government and safety affairs manager for
Mazda Motor Corp.'s North American operations.
The government hopes to rate 60% of the 2011 models. That means many cars
will be rated "untested." Car ratings can be found at www.safercar.gov.
Mr. Strickland said all cars must pass minimum standards, but the intent was
to further help consumers differentiate among vehicles. "I would certainly
drive a car that had less than five stars," he said. | e******x
发帖数: 91 | 2 这么重要的新闻，竟然没人讨论。
假美丽从5星变3星，小日本应试教育效应很明显啊
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB2000142405274870384380457553396195925203
0.html
harder
vehicles,
time
subratings,
current
【在 w*********e 的大作中提到】
: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748703843804575533961959252030.html
: By JOSH MITCHELL
: Tougher government crash tests for the 2011 model year are making it harder
: for car makers to win coveted "5-star" safety ratings for their vehicles,
: which they widely tout in ads.
: The U.S. Transportation Department on Tuesday formally launched a more
: rigorous system for grading car safety. The new system for the first time
: gives vehicles one overall safety rating, as well as various subratings,
: with one star for the worst and five stars for the best.
: The system, which applies to cars and light trucks starting in the current
| M***s
发帖数: 8769 | | w*********e
发帖数: 5286 | 4 没有啊，还在
【在 M***s 的大作中提到】
: 文章已经被和谐掉了
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