NHTSA delays ADAS features in five-star safety rating (NCAP)
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is postponing by one model year an update to the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) that would include more ADAS technologies so it can address concerns expressed by the automotive industry, according to a notice published in the Federal Register on Friday.
In late 2024, NTHSA published a final decision notice adding four new ADAS technologies to NCAP, including: blind spot warning (BSW), blind spot intervention (BSI), lane keeping assist (LKA), and pedestrian automatic emergency braking (PAEB). It also updated existing requirements for automatic emergency braking (AEB).
The program updates were to be implemented beginning with model year 2026 vehicles. Friday’s notice announces that the changes are postponed to model year 2027 vehicles.
Existing ADAS technologies, such as forward collision warning (FCW), crash imminent braking (CIB), dynamic braking support (DBS), and lane departure warning (LDW), will remain as agency recommendations for the 2026 model year.
“The Agency believes delaying the planned updates is appropriate to address concerns expressed by the automotive industry and to provide the Agency with sufficient time to implement the planned changes in a manner that ensures the integrity of the NCAP program is upheld,” the notification says.
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation (Auto Innovators) submitted a letter in response to the 2024 final decisions regarding the four new ADAS technologies in April, the notice says.
“In its letter, Auto Innovators, a consortium of vehicle manufacturers and suppliers, requested that NHTSA delay the planned program changes for NCAP by at least one year, citing (1) NHTSA’s failure to publish test procedures for evaluating crashworthiness pedestrian protection, (2) outstanding technical questions surrounding the Agency’s final decisions for both the new ADAS technologies and the crashworthiness pedestrian protection program, (3) an implementation timeline that limits manufacturer participation by imposing unnecessary barriers, and (4) a lack of comparative ratings to allow consumers to differentiate between the safety performance of vehicles,” the notice says.
According to the notice, Auto Innovators reaffirmed its concerns in another April letter sent to the Department of Transportation’s (USDOT’s) request for information on “Ensuring Lawful Regulation; Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs.”
Auto Innovators also criticized NCAP during a House Committee on Energy and Commerce hearing in June.
“NHTSA isn’t rating new safety technologies fast enough or often enough to help consumers make informed purchasing decisions,” said John Bozzella, Auto Innovators president and CEO.
Bozzella said NCAP needs to be modernized to promote innovation, encourage constant safety improvements, and empower consumers with clear information about vehicle safety.
“NHTSA should rethink NCAP, take oversight of the program out of rulemaking, and look at how similar programs are working better around the world,” Bozzella said.
In Friday’s notice, NHTSA acknowledges the concerns Auto Innovators expressed and notes that it appreciates the delay in finalizing and publishing test procedures has created uncertainty for manufacturers.
“It is understandable that manufacturers may not want to invest in redesigning vehicle models or conducting testing to evaluate their vehicles’ ability to provide adequate protection to pedestrians in a crash if the actual test procedure and requirements are unknown,” the notice says. “Vehicle testing imposes significant costs, and, as such, it may be cost-prohibitive for many vehicle manufacturers to conduct testing if the results of that testing may later be deemed invalid due to changes to test procedures or requirements stemming from the Agency’s validation testing.”
NHTSA also notes that it thinks Auto Innovators’ contention that manufacturers and consumers are best served if manufacturers are provided with sufficient time to implement vehicle design changes, perform confirmatory testing, and submit performance attestations to NHTSA early on in a model year is reasonable.
The notice says that since some manufacturers may have expended time and resources to perform testing in accordance with NCAP’s new ADAS test protocols with the expectation of obtaining performance credit for any model year 2026 vehicle, the agency will still issue checkmarks for new ADAS technologies for those vehicle models. Checkmarks are used to recommend to consumers those ADAS technologies that meet NCAP’s performance requirements, according to the notice.
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