To maximize occupant safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Chevrolet Camaro have pretensioners to eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers.
The Camaro has rear shoulder harnesses for all passengers Shoulder harnesses are 10% more effective than lap belts in preventing injuries from collisions. Recent studies indicate that lap belts alone may cause as many or more injuries than they prevent.
The Camaro has standard front seat side-impact airbags and head airbags for both seat rows, which act as a forgiving barrier between the passengers and the door. Combined with high-strength steel door beams this system increases protection from broadside collisions.
Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Camaro deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions.
The Camaro has standard four-wheel antilock disc brakes for quicker stops and controlled steering ability, especially under poor traction conditions.
The Camaro (except LS) offers an optional collision warning system, which detects an impending crash through forward mounted sensors and flashes a bright light and sounds a loud, distinctive tone to warn the driver to brake or maneuver immediately to avoid a collision.
To prevent wheelspin and loss of control under poor traction conditions, full range traction control is standard on the Chevrolet Camaro.
The Camaro has standard StabiliTrak®, which uses the antilock brake hardware along with powerful software and additional sensors to detect the beginning of a skid. StabiliTrak® then intervenes by automatically applying the brake at one appropriate wheel, preventing a skid. A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study showed that skid control systems reduced single-vehicle car crashes by 30%.
The Chevrolet Camaro has Daytime Running Lights to help keep it more visible under all conditions. Canadian government studies show that driving with lights during the day reduces accidents by 11% by making vehicles more conspicuous.
The Camaro offers optional Rear Park Assist to help warn drivers about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind their vehicle. The Camaro also has a standard backup monitor to help drivers see any and all obstacles behind their vehicle.
The Camaro’s optional blind spot warning system uses digital cameras monitored by computer to alert the driver to moving objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them.
To help make backing safer, the Camaro’s optional cross-path warning system uses wide-angle radar in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions.
For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Camaro uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams.
The Camaro’s gas tank is mounted inside the frame rails in front of the rear axle to optimally protect the fuel tank in a collision, not mounted behind the rear axle, where it is more susceptible to rear collisions.
The Camaro has standard OnStar®, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. Without a GPS response system if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this test, results indicate that the Chevrolet Camaro Coupe is safe:
|
|
Camaro |
| Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
| Structure |
GOOD |
| Restraints |
GOOD |
| Head injury index |
192 |
| Peak Head G-forces |
no hit |
| Neck Tension |
.7 kN |
| Chest Compression |
24 mm |
| Femur Force |
1 kN/1.7 kN |
| Tibia index |
.32/.57 |
(This test is not comparable to the NHTSA NCAP 35 MPH front crash test.)
A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Chevrolet Camaro Coupe is safe:
|
|
Camaro |
| Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
| Restraints |
GOOD |
| Head Neck Evaluation |
GOOD |
| Head injury index |
91 |
| Peak Head Forces |
0 G’s |
| Steering Column Movement Rearward |
1 cm |
| Chest Evaluation |
GOOD |
| Max Chest Compression |
21 cm |
| Hip & Thigh Evaluation |
GOOD |
| Femur Force R/L |
.9/.9 kN |
| Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L |
0%/0% |
| Lower Leg Evaluation |
GOOD |
| Tibia index R/L |
.55/.45 |
| Tibia forces R/L |
2.5/1.4 kN |
(This test is not comparable to the NHTSA NCAP 35 MPH front crash test.)
In a 31 MPH side-impact test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crashes a 3300 pound sled into the side of new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Chevrolet Camaro Coupe without its optional head airbags is safe:
|
|
Camaro |
| Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
| Structure |
GOOD |
|
|
Driver |
| Head Protection Rating |
GOOD |
| Head Injury Rating |
GOOD |
| Torso Injury Rating |
GOOD |
| Pelvis/Leg Injury Rating |
GOOD |
| Head Injury Criterion |
269 |
| Shoulder Movement |
41 mm |
|
|
Rear Passenger |
| Head Protection Rating |
GOOD |
| Head Injury Rating |
GOOD |
| Torso Injury Rating |
GOOD |
| Pelvis/Leg Injury Rating |
GOOD |
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates the general design of front seat head restraints for their ability to protect front seat occupants from whiplash injuries. The IIHS also performs a dynamic test on those seats with “good” or “acceptable” geometry. In these ratings, the Camaro is safe:
|
|
Camaro |
| Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
| Head Restraint Design |
GOOD |
| Dynamic Test Rating |
GOOD |
| Seat Design |
Pass |
| Torso Acceleration |
12.8 g’s |
| Neck Force Rating |
Low |
| Max Neck Shearing Force |
0 |
(Lower numerical results are better in all tests.)