Research checked 2026-10-24. Individual vehicle eligibility must be confirmed with the manufacturer or regulator.
Ratings answer questions set by a protocol
Crash-test organisations assess different collisions, occupant sizes, dummies, injury metrics, collision-avoidance equipment and scoring thresholds. Five stars under one programme or protocol year cannot be mathematically equated to a five-star score elsewhere. Even within IIHS, an updated moderate-overlap test that focuses more on rear occupants is not interchangeable with the original test.
A single car can have different regional percentages
For the 2024 Toyota C-HR, Euro NCAP lists 85 percent adult occupant, 86 percent child occupant, 86 percent vulnerable road users and 79 percent safety assist. The Australian/New Zealand ANCAP assessment lists 85, 88, 86 and 82 percent and excludes GR Sport. Presenting one combination globally would lose actual market scope and assessment distinctions.
Find the tested car and applicability table
IIHS reports often name a specific tested trim while extending an individual test’s validity to a date range. Latin NCAP’s 2024 VW T-Cross uses a VIN-character restriction for its six-airbag assessment. Bharat NCAP’s 2024 Tata Punch.ev page identifies the tested configuration and a cutoff when the updated model arrived. These caveats belong beside, not hidden beneath, the score.
Use safety scores intelligently
Start with protection relevant to your passengers, including rear-seat occupants, vulnerable-road-user performance and driver assistance actually fitted to the car you can buy. Supplement with real equipment lists, tyre and repair condition, and official recall checks. Never use test scores alone as a declaration that a car cannot be unsafe.
A practical closing check
[“Before relying on a summary, record the specific vehicle identification, country of original sale and date the official source was checked. Compare any recall or test result with the source’s written eligibility statement. If a safety concern is active, prioritise the current manufacturer’s instructions and a qualified professional over forum diagnosis.”]