Car Safety: Euro NCAP Tightens Evaluation Criteria

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For decades, new cars have been tested for safety by the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP). This program focuses not only on the consequences of a crash but also on accident prevention. The criteria for a good rating have been tightened repeatedly over the years. This year, the requirements have been changed as significantly as they have not been since 2009, according to ADAC. At its core, this involves four new points:

• low-distraction operation
• How assistants intervene
• Accident protection at low speeds
• easy rescue after accident consequences

Basic functions without detours

Modern cars now have many more functions to operate than a few decades ago. Manufacturers take very different approaches to managing this, as we repeatedly observe in test cars. If a manufacturer wants to achieve the full five stars in the Euro NCAP rating, some functions must be directly accessible, i.e., without going through submenus. This applies to turn signals, hazard lights, horn, windshield wipers, and eCall. Other functions must be available in a submenu in a maximum of two steps.

Assistants under observation

The law now mandates several systems for accident prevention. These include, for example, lane-keeping assist and automatic emergency braking. In the future, such systems will have to function in additional scenarios. ADAC mentions various impact angles, bad weather, and different speeds that will be considered in future tests. Furthermore, it will be checked how gently a lanekeeping assistant intervenes, for instance. There are indeed significant differences in this area.

Crash test at lower speed

A new additional crash test at 35 km/h is also being introduced. ADAC argues that manufacturers design bodywork and seatbelt pretensioners for higher speeds. This can lead to higher forces acting in an accident at 35 km/h than at 50 km/h. This was discovered during the investigation with an MG3 (driving report) last year. With adaptive systems that can adjust to the speed and weight of occupants, the stress during an accident is reduced. Additionally, dummies of different sizes and weights will be placed in various positions in the vehicle to further increase the requirements. Computer-simulated crashes with digital models will complement the tests with dummies.

Door handles that must always work

China has just announced that newly homologated cars will no longer be allowed to have motorized, retractable handles from 2027. We have also repeatedly criticized this in numerous test cars. A ban is not yet in sight in the EU, but at least the Euro NCAP evaluation criteria are being tightened in this regard as well, although this should actually be a matter of course: electric door handles and trunk lids must still function after an impact. Volvo, according to its statements, has installed several independent circuits for opening the doors in the EX60.

How a rescuer is supposed to open a door after an accident using a handle that is already difficult to operate when undamaged is something that has been factored into the ratings for years. For a full score, and this also only starts to be factored into Euro NCAP ratings from now on, the availability of rescue cards and the function of the eCall system are evaluated, among other things. Electric cars must additionally isolate the traction battery and have a resistance against battery overheating.

Increased effort

The four new, additional evaluation criteria make it significantly more difficult for manufacturers to achieve the maximum achievable five stars. On the other hand, the consumer protection program for vehicle technology considerably increases the effort involved. Some tests will be handled via simulations in the future, but for many things, only real-world testing on the candidate remains. For consumers, it is a good sign when the creators of such evaluation criteria, for example, are concerned that overly harsh intervention by lanekeeping assistants could reduce driver acceptance.

(mfz)