What is Euro NCAP?

Founded in 1997, the European New Car Assessment Programme is an organisation responsible for testing the safety standards of all new cars before they hit the roads. Euro NCAP assess the safety and resilience of cars by subjecting them to real-world accident scenarios and tests.

Based on the results of these tests, Euro NCAP assign a safety rating between one and five stars to each car, and these scores are widely used by car buyers, safety experts, and policymakers as a guide to the safety of car models. The organisation has also played a key role in improving the safety standards of cars sold across Europe and has encouraged car manufacturers to develop their safety technologies drastically.

Is Euro NCAP reliable?

Committed to staying up to date with the very latest safety technologies, driver assists and best practices, Euro NCAP are widely respected and reliable when it comes to assessing vehicle safety standards. The organisation collaborates with car manufacturers to ensure that they’re aware of the testing procedures and can prepare cars for the assessments appropriately, and as a result Euro NCAP are widely recognised by consumers, car manufacturers, and governments.

What’s more is that Euro NCAP is an independent organisation, which means that it is not influenced by car manufacturers or other stakeholders. Their test results are transparent and publicly available, and the organisation regularly updates its testing procedures to reflect changes in safety technology and industry standards.

How are Euro NCAP ratings calculated?

Euro NCAP ratings are calculated based on the results of tests and evaluations that measure a vehicle’s safety standards in four key areas which generally include the following:

Adult Occupant Protection Test

This test evaluates the vehicle's ability to protect adult occupants in the event of a frontal, side, or rear impact. The test assesses the performance of the car's restraint systems, such as seat belts and airbags, and measures the likelihood of injury to different body regions.

Child Occupant Protection Test

This test assesses the car’s ability to protect child occupants in different types of collisions. The test assesses the car's child restraint systems, such as child seats and booster cushions, and measures the likelihood of injury to different body regions.

Pedestrian Protection Test

The third test measures the vehicle's ability to protect pedestrians in the event of an accident by assessing the car's design features, such as the shape of the front of the car, and measures the likelihood of injury to different body regions.

Safety Assist Technologies Evaluation

The fourth and final evaluation measures the effectiveness of the car's safety features, such as seat belt reminders, lane departure warning, and autonomous emergency braking.

After conducting these tests and evaluations, Euro NCAP assigns a score for each area and combines them to give an overall rating for the vehicle.

What are the Euro NCAP ratings?

Euro NCAP ratings range from one to five stars, with a higher star rating indicating better safety performance.

1 Star Rating

A car that earns a one-star rating is considered to have a "Marginal" level of safety. The car is likely to offer poor protection for occupants in a crash, and it may not be equipped with basic safety features.

2 Star Rating

A two-star rating means a car is considered to have a "Nominal" level of safety. The car is likely to offer some level of protection for occupants in a crash, but it may still have significant shortcomings in terms of safety features.

3 Star Rating

A car that earns a three-star rating is considered to have an "Adequate" level of safety. The car offers a reasonable level of protection for occupants in a crash, and it may have some advanced safety features.

4 Star Rating

A four-star rated vehicle is considered to have a "Good" level of safety. The car offers a high level of protection for occupants in a crash, and it is likely to have advanced safety features.

5 Star Rating

A car that earns a five-star rating is considered to have an "Excellent" level of safety. The car offers the highest level of protection for occupants in a crash, and it is likely to have a comprehensive range of advanced safety features.

It’s important to remember that Euro NCAP ratings are relative to the body type or class of the vehicle being tested, a small car with a five-star rating may not be as safe as a larger car with the same rating, as the larger car has more mass and is better able to protect occupants in a crash.

What Euro NCAP Rating is my car?

To find out the Euro NCAP rating of your car, you can visit the Euro NCAP website and easily search for your car using its make, model, and year of manufacture. The website also offers a searchable database of all the cars that Euro NCAP has tested, along with their ratings.

If your car is an older model that was not tested by Euro NCAP, you may not be able to find a Euro NCAP rating for it. In this case, you may need to rely on other sources of information, such as safety ratings from other organisations or government agencies, or information from the car manufacturer.