Euro NCAP - five star safety impossible without ESC

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Written by Staff Reporter

Wednesday, 12 November 2008

AS Euro NCAP, the European safety organisation, moves closer to its vision “for safer cars” it has released details about the scoring behind the organisation’s new car safety rating.
With the implementation of the new rating scheduled for 2009, vehicles tested by Euro NCAP from this date will undergo a much tougher and more comprehensive assessment.
Euro NCAP also revealed its high ambitions for manufacturers. It has said that it will not be possible to achieve a five stars rating without an ESC system on the car.
The new scheme will see the introduction of a new 5-star single overall vehicle safety rating replacing the current star ratings in use since 1997.
This new star rating, Euro NCAP believes, will provide the simplest and clearest advice to the consumer about the overall safety performance of his chosen vehicle.
The overall rating will be composed from scores achieved in four areas of assessment Adult Occupant, Child Occupant, Pedestrian Protection and a new area called Safety Assist. Safety Assist will allow Euro NCAP to consider driver assistance systems and active safety technologies, which play an increasingly important role in accident avoidance and injury mitigation.
The new scheme provides Euro NCAP with the means to actively drive safety forwards in critical areas, maximizing the potential impact on road casualty reduction on European roads.
Under the new scoring system, vehicles will need to do well in each area of assessment to achieve a good overall result.
In particular, it will be impossible for a carmaker to achieve five stars in the tested vehicle without the standard fitment of electronic stability control (ESC) in the majority of variants sold.
Statistics reveal that ESC plays such a major role in reducing deaths on our roads, Euro NCAP believes no car should be able to achieve five stars without it.
First results for vehicles tested under the new rating system will be released in February 2009.
From this date, car buyers should look out for the new overall Euro NCAP star rating for their vehicle.
This shows the car has been subject to a tougher assessment in the achievement of its final award.

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