A Swedish study, which compares the real crash outcomes with crash test results, has revealed that cars that do well in performance tests, also do well in real crashes. European New Car Assessment Program (EuroNCAP) rates cars on a one to five star basis; the higher star rating a car receives, the less likely it is that the driver will be severely injured in a car crash and each decrease in a star significantly increases the risk of injury. But researchers feel that these findings may be a product of faulty information. It seems as though most of the information, which strengthened this argument, was derived from nonfrontal crashes, and because police reports are not as specific about hospitalization, it is difficult to determine the severity of the driver's injuries. Because detailed data on crash and injury severities are only available for a number of crashes, researchers have a difficult time determining whether vehicles with a good rating also do a good job of protecting the driver.
Abstract