|
The
European New Car Assessment Programme ('Euro NCAP')
announces
its Latest Safety Results and the New Child Protection
Rating,
in Athens
(27
November, 2003)
Euro NCAP
staff have announced the results for the Renault Scenic and VW's Touran.
Both cars achieved the coveted five stars for occupant protection in Europe's leading independent crash
tests.
Other crashworthiness results for family cars, small family cars, super-minis, 4X4's, large
MPV's [a.k.a. 'Minivans,' in the USA], and small MPV's were launched at a press conference in
Athens, Greece.
Also announced were the results for the first eight cars tested against the new child protection rating. The Ford
Focus C-MAX became the first car to be awarded four stars for protecting child passengers.
Apart from Audi and Mazda, all of the manufacturers met the requirements of Euro NCAP's new seat belt reminder protocol. Euro NCAP's star rating is based on occupants being 'belted', thus seat belt reminder systems are vitally important. All of the safety gains achieved by Euro NCAP over recent years would be completely wasted if car occupants don't buckle up before every journey.
Max Mosley, Euro NCAP Chairman and FIA President said: "The latest cars tested by Euro NCAP demonstrate very high levels of occupant safety, giving Europe's car buyers a wider range of safer models than ever before.
"Unfortunately, whilst occupant protection continues to improve the number of manufactures scoring only one or two stars for pedestrian protection is still very disappointing. Euro NCAP urges all manufacturers to redouble their efforts in addressing pedestrian safety."
Edmund King, Executive Director of the RAC Foundation, said: "All the cars assessed in these latest phase of crash testing show that car manufacturers have made considerable improvements to occupant safety.
"This is the first set of crash testing results where no vehicle has received any cautionary signs for injury risks. Yet pedestrian protection continues to be a major problem with most vehicles. For the first time child protection was rated and this should focus the attention of manufacturers and consumers on this vital aspect of road safety.
"Most cars gained three stars for child protection which shows there is room for
improvement."
Summary of results:
FAMILY CARS
-- Mazda 6
Occupant Protection -- 4 stars
Child Protection
-- 3 stars
Pedestrian protection -- 1 star
SMALL FAMILY CAR -- Audi A3
Occupant Protection
-- 4 stars
Child Protection
-- 3 stars
Pedestrian protection -- 1 star
SUPER-MINIS
-- Citroën C2 -- Mazda 2
Occupant Protection -- 4 stars
-- 4 stars
Child Protection
-- 3 stars
-- 3 stars
Pedestrian protection -- 2 stars
-- 2 stars
LARGE MPV
-- Toyota Previa
Occupant Protection -- 4 stars
Child Protection
-- 3 stars
Pedestrian protection -- 1 star
SMALL MPV
-- Ford Focus C-MAX -- Renault Scenic -- Renault Kangoo -- VW Touran
Occupant Protection -- 4 stars
5 stars
4 stars
5 stars
Child Protection
-- 4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
n/a
Pedestrian protection -- 2 stars
2 stars
1 star
3 stars
4X4'S (i.e. SUV's) -- Jeep Cherokee
Occupant Protection -- 4 stars
Child Protection
-- n/a
Pedestrian protection -- 1 star
Notes:
1. Organisations participating in Euro NCAP include the Departments of Transport
for Sweden, The Netherlands, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Catalonia, as well as the European Commission, the FIA Foundation, the Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club (ADAC) and
'International Consumer Research and Testing' (ICRT) on behalf of the European consumer organisations.
2. The new Euro NCAP star rating for child protection is given in
respect of a car with specific child seats that have been recommended by the car manufacturer. The combination can now earn up to five stars for child protection. The rating depends on the fitting instructions for the child seats, the car's ability to accommodate them safely and their performance in front and side impact tests. However, there are important limitations to this rating, which are:
-
The child protection rating can not be used for the car alone, nor can it be used for the car with a different combination of child seats.
-
The tested child seat alone does not have a child protection rating.
-
The same child seat tested in combination with other cars may give a different child protection rating.
3.
Front impact tests are conducted at 64km/h (40mph) into an offset deformable barrier, the side impact test 50km/h (30mph), the pole test at 29km/h (18mph) and the pedestrian tests at 40km/h (25mph).
4. The full results will be on the web site www.euroncap.com
from 27 November.
Source:
The RAC Foundation
|