EuroNCAP is taking very seriously the testing of its cars, with more stringent measures that lowered the overall points. Key to the new programme is the introduction of tests to assess the performance of Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) systems which can detect cyclists.
The same evaluation was available also for electric cars. Results for the first car to go through the Euro NCAP test programme this year have been released, with the zero-emission Nissan LEAF achieving a five-star Euro NCAP rating for safety.
2018 sees the biggest shake up to date, with Euro NCAP test protocols covering a greater proportion of ‘real-world’ crashes occurring on the road, including:
– Offset AEB scenarios where the car partially overlaps at the point of impact with the vehicle ahead were added to supplement the original full overlap car-to-car AEB test;
– A walking-in-road scenario and testing during darkness were added to existing crossing pedestrian scenarios;
– Scenarios for collisions with cyclists both crossing and riding along the road were also included.
