Since they emerged in the 1990s, Euro NCAP test protocols have become the absolute benchmark for the market on how safe the cars we drive are.
However, it is curious that for the purposes of legal approval of a vehicle its value is nil. The European Union has its own testing protocols and it is these that manufacturers must comply with.
Regardless, the importance of Euro NCAP is indisputable. Its tests were, and are, essential to increase the safety of the vehicles we drive. The five Euro NCAP stars have become the fastest way to understand how safe a vehicle is, as well as becoming a valuable weapon for marketing departments.
It is the repercussions of the tests that show just how powerful the Euro NCAP tests are. We see this when a manufacturer is “forced” to review aspects related to the safety of their vehicles, whether by offering more safety equipment as standard, to the reformulation of parts of the vehicle itself.
Subscribe to our newsletter
The tests themselves have also grown in number and demand. Testing protocols have been revised every two years, so this year revisions and new developments will be introduced in all areas of assessment: crash protection, crash avoidance systems, and post-crash.
What's New in Euro NCAP Testing Protocols
One of the main innovations is the introduction of a new mobile progressive deformation barrier (MPDB) — replaces the former deformable barrier, in service for the last 23 years — for frontal crash tests, still the crash type that generates the most casualties.
Both the vehicle to be tested and the mobile barrier (mounted on a 1400 kg trolley) move towards each other at 50 km/h until they collide, with a frontal overlap of 50%. The barrier simulates the front of another vehicle, becoming progressively stiffer the more it is deformed.
Also the crash test dummy (dummy used in tests that simulates a human being) is new. THE THOR (no kidding), acronym for Test device for Human Occupant Restraint, considered the most advanced crash test dummy today, becomes part of the new Euro NCAP test protocols.
Side collisions are the second deadliest, so Euro NCAP increased the severity of this test, changing the variables collision speed and mass of the barrier. The novelty involves evaluating the protection of the second front passenger and, above all, the interaction between driver and passenger in this type of collision — the effectiveness of the new central front airbags will be put to the test.
In the field of active security, Euro NCAP will introduce more demanding tests for driver assistants , namely, the autonomous emergency braking and its effectiveness in protecting not only the occupants of the vehicle but also the most vulnerable users, such as pedestrians and cyclists. Euro NCAP's test protocols will also assess driver fatigue and distraction detection systems.
Finally, Euro NCAP will assess the post-collision period, that is, everything that involves the action of rescue teams — from the eCall system (which automatically calls emergency services) to the ease with which the extrication teams remove the occupants of a vehicle, the operation of the electric door knobs. Builders will receive extra points on the accuracy and accessibility of information needed to give emergency forces.
five star compatibility
Obviously, a vehicle that currently has five stars will not be the same as a vehicle with five stars rated against these stricter criteria.
Obtaining the five stars from this year will become more difficult as the level of demand in all evaluation areas has risen. In other words, it is very likely that vehicles that are now five stars would not be if they had to be retested according to the new test protocols.
The Covid-19 pandemic has also affected the testing schedule for new vehicles. The new Euro NCAP test protocols will be put into practice shortly, but we will only know the first results after the summer.
Razão Automóvel's team will continue online, 24 hours a day, during the COVID-19 outbreak. Follow the recommendations of the General Directorate of Health, avoid unnecessary travel. Together we will be able to overcome this difficult phase.