EuroNCAP Controversies

EuroNCAP scores have become a frequently mentioned term among new car buyers. Since its inception more than 10 years ago, EuroNCAP has become a trusted household name when it comes to vehicle crash safety performance. However many are just casually dropping the EuroNCAP name in their everyday conversations without having any understanding on the test methodologies and what do these scores really mean.

To answer the usual questions above, EuroNCAP is an independent EU based vehicle safety advocacy group. It is made up and funded by various EU member country governments, motor insurance groups and the German AA club ADAC. Cars tested are usually purchased off the market. However some manufacturers do sponsor their vehicles but they will not be able to influence the test / publication of test results. Being an EU based organization, the cars tested are usually popular models sold in Europe. Cars which are not sold in Europe will not be tested, for obvious reasons. There will not be any EuroNCAP scores for a Toyota Camry, or even a Crown. Which is why it's rather annoying to hear some criticisms targetted at Proton's newly launched Exora, which the manufacturer claims should get a 4-star score. Some people, ignorant on EuroNCAP methods, were quick to jump to the conclusion that Proton could not obtain any actual results but instead just published an "estimated result." Advanced computer simulations are able to do fairly good predictions on the test results and since EuroNCAP's methodologies are made public, manufacturers can replicate the tests on their own.


There are some controversies surrounding EuroNCAP methodologies though. Some years ago some models were not awarded 5-stars but manufacturers commented that they should be awarded points for fitment of more sophisticated active safety devices like Brake Assist, Electronic Stability Control, Lane Departure warning system etc etc, which plays a crucial role in avoiding a crash in the first place.

It is only until this year did EuroNCAP decided to modify their points rating system. And this comes only after ESC is declared compulsory for all cars from 2012 onwards when the UNECE WP29 group adopted the Global Technical Regulation (GTR) on ESC. The UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) laws are a legal requirement for all cars sold in Europe. EuroNCAP however is not a legal requirement.

Starting from 2009, ESC must be offered on at least 85% of all models sold to be considered for a complete 5-star score. So starting from March 2009, all car manufacturers can no longer use their existing EuroNCAP scores in any marketing materials.

To obtain 5-stars, cars need to score a minimum of 32.5 points (out of a maximum of 37 points). Additional points are given for seatbelt reminders (2 points), if this is extended to include rear seats 1 more point will be awarded but manufacturers are very hesitant to do this due to higher wiring cost. The Renault Grand Espace is one of the few cars to offer this feature. Other features considered include speed limiter warning, lane departure warning and Pre-Crash like functionalities. But because these features work very differently from model to model, it is difficult to agree on a standard test agreeable by all.

But EuroNCAP does not do any dynamic test evaluation. They just crash the cars. What good is a 5-star car if a 4-star model is able to steer away from a collision better, maintains better control, stops faster and avoided the crash in the first place? Also, not all ESC are created equal. Intervention points for ESC vary from model to model.

But the most serious problem related to this high emphasis on EuroNCAP scores is increasingly large A, B and C pillars, which results in a larger blind spot area for the driver. So now we are in a catch-22 situation where we modern cars that do better in a crash, but are harder to look out from. Common sense will tell you that the most important criteria in any vehicle safety measurements is visibility / driver's vision.

Australia's leading motor insurance company NRMA has conducted an independent study called "Driver Vision Index" to evaluate a car's driver visibility. The test is conducted using a laser pointing device and a dummy to represent an average adult size. The laser is aimed around forward facing 180 degrees of the vehicle's cabin. Thickness of each pillar is measured in degrees of rotation.

Many cars fared very poorly and the highest scores were obtained by the 6th generation VW Golf and Citroen C4 Picasso (4 stars each, out of maximum 5).

Results of some popular models are as below :
Honda Jazz : 2 star
Honda City : 1 star
Honda Civic : 2 star
Toyota Corolla : 3 star
Proton Gen2 : 2 star
Proton Persona : 2 star
Mazda 6 : 3 star
Toyota Aurion (ASEAN Camry) : 2 star
Honda Accord : 1 star
Go here for more results.


Manufacturers like Volvo have long knew this negative effect of EuroNCAP tests and the new S80 sedan comes with an optional Blind Spot Indication System (BLIS). In typical Scandinavian fashion, they do the necessary to preserve human lives and not wait for legislators to tell them what to do. They do live up to the Volvo For Life philosophy.

In short, EuroNCAP is not a be-all end-all authority when it comes to vehicle safety. A 3-star car can become a 5-star car with just some slight modification in the test methodologies. Likewise a 5-star car from 3 years ago can be demoted under the new test structure. But generally, EuroNCAP has done a lot in pushing for better vehicle safety.

Related Link :
The case of ESP and Corporate Social Responsibility