[Auto] EuroNCAP tightens impact tests to improve security

[Dr.Drako]

Today, vehicle safety is one of the manufacturers' priorities. In the early stages of the sector it was not something that was taken into account or requested by customers. However, the technique has evolved, offering ever faster and therefore dangerous models. Not only for the person and occupants who go inside, but also for the other elements that interact on public roads.

For this reason, different entities, or organizations, have emerged that are responsible for testing the safety of vehicles. In Europe we have EuroNCAP, which luckily for the market does not depend on any manufacturer. Its security tests are rigorous and strict, winning the favor of the continental public.

With a view to 2020, it presents the update of its action protocols since it must adapt to the evolution of the sector itself.

Modifying EuroNCAP protocols does not change the structure of your tests. On the one hand, there are tests focused on evaluating the safety and protection of occupants in the event of an accident. On the other hand, there are the impact tests and those that evaluate the effectiveness of driving assistance systems. On this basis, the modifications introduced are the following:
 

A new mobile barrier arrives for the frontal crash test of a moving car. They replace the regulation-based, moderately compensated barrier test used by EuroNCAP for the past 23 years.

For the first time, you'll assess impact protection on the opposite side, focusing on driver protection and the potential interaction between driver and front-seat passenger. It will serve to check the safety of elements such as the central airbags (case of the new Honda Jazz).

Active driving aids. New scenarios are now included to help assess AEB technology for vulnerable vehicles and users (including reverse and turning situations in an intersection). In addition, the first step is taken to evaluate driver condition monitoring systems, designed to detect driver fatigue and distraction.
 

This review is important, as it will force builders not torest on their laurels. But they are not the only novelties, since an unpublished evaluation appears that until now was not taken into account. We are talking about safety verification after an accident. To develop this protocol EuroNCAP has partnered with the International Association of Fire and Rescue Services (CTIF).
 

The rating rules will reward manufacturers who offer the best rescue information. That is, if one of its models suffers an impact, through the eCall emergency call system, it unequivocally offers the GPS position or the number of occupants. But also, it does not ignore that the extraction of the victims is easy, safe and fast as well as that the doors do not lock easily.