Federal safety officials unveiled a more comprehensive crash rating system for vehicles that for the first time evaluates how women fare in accidents by using female crash dummies and takes into account side pole crashes and crash-prevention technology such as electronic stability control.
The Transportation Department and its National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it would now issue an "overall vehicle score" that combines the results of a frontal crash test, side crash tests and rollover resistance tests. It compares the results with the average risk of injury and potential for vehicle rollover of other vehicles.
In the rankings released Tuesday for the latest 2011 models, the BMW 5 series sedan and the Hyundai Sonata sedan were the only autos to receive overall vehicle scores of five stars, while the Nissan Versa got only two stars and was particularly vulnerable in side crash tests, according to safety regulators.
The Toyota Camry, one of America's best-selling cars, scored the next lowest among the first group of vehicles being tested, rating only three stars. It was dragged down by lower ratings on front and side crashes compared with ratings under the previous system. Most of the first group of 33 vehicles tested under the new system had a four-star rating.
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