National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

A division of the U.S. Department of Transportation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) works with state and local governments to enforce vehicle performance standards and reduce motor vehicle related deaths, injuries, and economic losses. Its stated mission is to save lives, prevent injuries and reduce economic costs due to road traffic crashes, through education, research, safety standards and enforcement activity, and its website states that it is responsible for keeping people safe on America’s roadways. The general public is most familiar with NHTSA rating systems such as the 5-star vehicle rating system, as well as ratings systems for car seats as well as tires, but the administration also tracks consumer complaints about vehicle problems and requires manufacturers to recall vehicles and equipment’s that have safety-related defects.