Euro Ncap Press Release

[Parts-King]

From a Euro NCAP press release today

Euro NCAP’s 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: 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, consumers 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.

Dr Michiel Van Ratingen, Secretary-General of Euro NCAP says “There is no doubt that this new overall rating will provide clear challenges to industry, but at the same time it will create opportunities for manufacturers to be rewarded for their dedication to safety. Euro NCAP needs to continually evolve with innovation and ensure that consumers can be confident that the rating remains updated and a true reflection of the safety performance of their vehicles.”

Kingo

[Karma Supra]

Out of interest... when looking at cars and safety, does anyone here consider pedestrian safetly at all???

My history or cars will pop up lights and bull bars speaks for itself ;)

[kimi]

Out of interest... when looking at cars and safety, does anyone here consider pedestrian safetly at all???

My history or cars will pop up lights and bull bars speaks for itself ;)

No never think of pedestrian safetly ( if someone stepped out in front of me & i hit them..i would also get out and give

them a kick for denting my car :P )

To be honest i do not take much notice of the N cap results anyway,

i look at style and performance when buying a car.

[dawesy]

if your daft enough to step out in front of a car then you deserve to get hurt, darwinism really.

my only concern with all these electronic aids is they make drivers less safe and loose some basic driving skills. driving needs a healthy amount of fear.

if you had a 12" spike in the middle of the steering wheel how careful would you drive?

[cabcurtains]

my only concern with all these electronic aids is they make drivers less safe and loose some basic driving skills. driving needs a healthy amount of fear.

I agree totally I've had cars with : Active Cruise Control, Lane Keeping Assist, Collision Mitigating Braking, not to mention the Traction Control/Stability Program, 10x Airbags etc

All this stuff IMO creates the bubble affect leaving people thinking they're invincible, this makes them drive like total idiots, argh it revs me up :ffs:

If some one steps out in front then sorry tough & last time i checked Lorries and Buses had very little pedestrian protection......and they will probably hurt more.

[Leeky]

All these driver aids add up to what i call the 'scooby effect'. All these electronic aids make driving so easy/safe that people do believe they are invincible - much in the same way that people with impreza's think they are driving gods when in fact its the 4WD system that is preventing them from dying...unfortunatly...