NHTSA to jumpstart its slow-rolling revamp of new car crash ratings

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Wednesday it is reviving a long-stalled effort to overhaul the five-star crash rating program for all new vehicles. In 2015, under President Barack Obama, NHTSA proposed requiring automakers to add crash avoidance technologies to gain top, five-star ratings as part of its New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). NHTSA's acting chief, James Owens, said in a statement Wednesday the agency would propose "propose significant updates and upgrades" in 2020 "by creating additional market-based incentives for automakers to continue investing in innovative safety technologies that will save lives and prevent injuries."