How does the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration protect consumers?

The NHTSA does a number of things that help to protect
consumers.  Some examples of these
include:

• Regulation.  The NHTSA sets standards
  for safety that must be met by all vehicles sold in the US.  These include things like
  seat belts but also things like the amount of impact that a car must be able to
  withstand.  These regulations ensure that consumers will not buy cars that do not meet
  some minimum safety levels.


• Testing.  The NHTSA tests
  vehicles to make sure that they meet the standards mentioned above.  They also test how
  well various cars protect passengers against various kinds of
  collisions.


• Public information campaigns.  The agency
  tries to protect people by making them aware of ways that they could increase their
  safety while driving.

All of these are ways in
which the NHTSA helps to protect consumers.