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New Law Will Help Families Buy Safer Cars
Finding a vehicle that's safe for your family is about to get a lot
easier thanks to a new federal regulation requiring safety ratings
on the window stickers for all new cars, mini-vans and sport-utility
vehicles.
The new rule goes into effect in 2007 and will require that rating
information from the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration's (NHTSA) be displayed on part of the window sticker
on new cars beginning with the 2008 model year.
Dubbed the "Stars on Cars Rule," the requirement will help consumers
measure a vehicle's safety information by the number of safety stars
on the sticker.
The new vehicle price stickers will contain NHTSA safety ratings in
three areas - front and side crash and non-destructive rollover
tests. All three tests use the five-star rating, with five stars
being the safest.
"By making safety a selling point, it is my hope that this rule will
encourage the faster development of these kinds of technologies,"
stated Nicole Nason, National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator.
While this safety information is already accessible on the Internet
at www.safercar.gov, the new rule will make it a lot easier for car
buyers - as all they will have to do is go from car to car and
compare the numbers of safety stars on the window.
"This measure just makes sense. By placing safety ratings directly
on new car window stickers, consumers will have the ability to make
more informed decisions right there on the car sales lot," said Ohio
Senator Mike DeWine, who sponsored the legislation creating the
"Stars on Cars" program.
The new star ratings will join other information on car pricing
stickers already required by law -- such as cost, fuel economy, and
vehicle features.
If you want to review a car's safety ratings before the new rule
goes into effect, visit www.safercar.gov, a government Web site that
offers detailed safety information on all sorts of car makes and
models dating back to 1990. This information can be useful when
evaluating the purchase of a new or used car.
(SPM Wire)
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