The European New Car Assessment Programme is an influential, independent assessment of the safety of passenger cars to occupants and pedestrians, based upon the long-established NCAP for North America. The tests are controversial in that they differ from official Government standards, particularly in the use of deformable obstacles as well as rigid concrete blocks.
Despite initial objections from the OEMs, based on technical doubts about the nature of the tests, the Euro-NCAP rating has become increasingly influential in consumers’ buying decisions and some manufacturers have made alterations to vehicle specifications as the direct result of an initially low score. More information from the AA or the FIA in Paris, one of the official sponsors of the tests.
