NHTSA Publishes First Pedestrian Safety Test Results for 2027 Vehicles
NHTSA has released its first pedestrian protection assessments under the 5-Star Safety Ratings, with 102 model year 2027 vehicles from 10 manufacturers meeting the new criteria.
- 102
- 10
- 2027
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What Happened
The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 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, which are designed to evaluate how effectively vehicle designs protect pedestrians in a collision. The agency says the new category is meant to help consumers make informed choices when buying a new or used vehicle.
- 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
102
From 10 manufacturers in the inaugural round of pedestrian protection assessments for model year 2027.
- Updated performance evaluations for frontal, side, and rollover crash scenarios
- Assessments of how well vehicles protect the head and upper and lower legs of pedestrians in a collision
- Evaluations of automatic emergency braking, pedestrian automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, blind spot warning, and blind spot intervention
“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. We expect this recognition to spark thoughtful inclusion of new pedestrian safety designs in more models, making new vehicles safer than ever.”
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, so shoppers can see the result at a glance. Alongside the new pedestrian criteria, NCAP continues to evaluate crash protection and advanced safety features to help consumers choose safer vehicles and to encourage automakers to protect drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. Consumers are encouraged to visit NHTSA.gov/ratings to review this safety information, including the new pedestrian safety assessments, for individual vehicle models.
Previously from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
NHTSA has been expanding its rulemaking and standards work in recent months. In July 2026, the agency approved Zoox robotaxi deployment, began work on the first-ever national performance standards for self-driving vehicles, and streamlined exemption rules.
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's official releases.
Why this matters
For the first time, car buyers get a standardized, published measure of how well a vehicle protects people outside it, not just occupants inside. Automakers now carry a visible pass-or-fail mark on pedestrian protection, which NHTSA expects to push more pedestrian-friendly designs into more models.
Terms in This Story
- New Car Assessment Program (NCAP)
- NHTSA's vehicle safety rating program, which tests new vehicles and publishes 5-Star Safety Ratings for consumers.
- Headform
- A test device shaped like a human head that is used to measure impact forces in crash testing.
- Automatic emergency braking (AEB)
- A driver assistance system that can automatically apply the brakes to avoid or reduce the severity of a crash.
- Crashworthiness
- A measure of how well a vehicle protects people in a crash.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.