The government is launching a revised crash rating system that adds procedures to the current testing regimen, AutoWeek reports. "A revamped federal vehicle safety test will consolidate front and side impact and rollover results into one rating, simulate striking a pole with a vehicle and include female crash dummies." The revised regulations will go into effect for the 2010 model year, according to federal regulators.

The report said that the changes to the New Car Assessment Program, or NCAP, also include testing for risk of leg injury and reporting whether vehicles have safety technology. "The new criteria likely will make it harder for vehicles to score the maximum five-star rating," the report said—under the current system, almost 90 percent of vehicles on the market score five stars, which of course is a bonanza for advertisers even if it's virtually useless for the average consumer.

"Enhanced government safety ratings are intended to further the continuous advancement of vehicle safety," Nicole Nason, administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that oversees the testing, said in a statement. "In addition to providing important information to consumers, the ratings encourage vehicle manufacturers to continue to design vehicles that reach an even higher level of safety."