Price, economy and space are three things that many people will look for when it comes to a family car, but there is one factor that arguably beats them all: safety.
No matter what budget you may be working to, you want to ensure that your family are going to be as safe as possible every time you head out onto the road, which is part of the reason why such much focus goes onto the Euro NCAP score that is provided to each model.
Here’s a handy guide as to what the programme is all about…
What is Euro NCAP?
Euro NCAP stands for the European New Car Assessment Programme and was launched in the late 1990s to provide the general public with information on which cars on the road are the safest.
Prior to the programme being launched, cars in the UK were only tested through a head-on impact conducted at 30mph but Euro NCAP was designed to provide a more stringent set of tests that were first carried out in February 1997.
In July of that year, the Volvo S40 became the first car to pick up a 4-star rating, which at the time was the highest score available, with the Renault Laguna becoming the first 5-star car in June 2021.
Various revisions have been made to the tests that are carried out as part of the programme in order to keep pace with technological developments.
Are all cars tested?
Such is the sheer volume of new cars that are in the marketplace, it isn’t possible for every single model to undergo tests, with Euro NCAP selecting a broad range of the most popular models.
Once a model is put forward for testing, it will undergo the tests with standard safety equipment fitted with four different cars taking part. Cars can be tested before going on sale to the public but must be fully type approved and from series production.
Cars undergo a variety of tests in order for a score to be given across four key areas; Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection and Safety Assist.
Adult Occupant Protection
In order to gain a score for Adult Occupation Protection, cars undergo two frontal impacts, one carried out head-on with a rigid barrier at 50km/h and one carried out head-on with a 50 per cent overlap against a barrier moving towards the car at 50km/h to replicate a collision.
Side impact testing with a mobile barrier (60km/h) and with a pole (32km/) are also conducted as is a whiplash test to replicate a rear impact.
Various different dummies are used as part of the test process to explore the impact of a crash on those onboard the car, allowing Euro NCAP to explore the loads that a body would be subjected to if a crash were to occur.
Child Occupant Protection
Ensuring your child is as safe as possible is arguably the most important part of the Euro NCAP rating for many parents, and each car undergoes a number different tests for the rating to be collated.
These measure how well child restraints fit and individual model and then how much protection that offer in the event of a collision, looking at head movement, neck loads and chest acceleration in particular.
Tests are carried out to ensure that the restraint can be installed easily and correctly – either using an ISOFIX system or with a seat belt – whilst onboard safety systems are also evaluated.
Vulnerable Road User Protection
As well as evaluating how safe a car is for those onboard, Euro NCAP also runs a series of tests to examine the impact of a collision on pedestrians or cyclists.
These tests look at potential injuries that could occur in an incident and also look at the safety systems that may be fitted to a vehicle and which are designed to protect vulnerable road users.
Safety Assist
As the name suggests, the fourth area of testing surrounds safety systems that are fitted to a vehicle, such as Autonomous Emergency Braking, lane assist and speed assistance.
What do the stars mean?
Once each car has been tested across the four areas and given a percentage score for each, then it is awarded a rating of up to 5-star.
Understandably, a 5-star rating is the maximum score offered which means a car has scored well in terms of crash protection and is well-equipped with safety technology whereas as a 0-star rating means a car can be sold but lacks some of the critical modern safety technology.
As a general rule, the more stars that are awarded to a car, then the safer it will be for you and your family.
Ratings are valid for a period of six years and an expired rating does not mean a car is unsafe, more that technology has moved on a large amount from the when the test was conducted.
Are their anomalies?
Because of the nature of the tests that are carried out, it’s important that you explore the full Euro NCAP rating in order to make an informed decision on whether a car is best suited to your needs.
As an example, if a model doesn’t feature the latest safety assist systems – such as lane assist or speed recognition – then it will score a lower rating for Safety Assist, which will then impact its overall score.
By exploring the Euro NCAP report in full for a car, you are able to see exactly why a car has been granted a certain score and explore the reasons why it may not be as you expected.
How can I check?
Once a car has undergone Euro NCAP testing, a report is compiled and made publicly available on the Euro NCAP website.
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