Nissan Micra safety
Car safety, has in the past, been largely ignored by both car manufacturers and car buyers but now it is a key element of their purchasing decision. No doubt you've seen the marketing campaigns of various manufacturers quoting their Euro NCAP ratings. In this section we try to explain some of the methods used and what Euro NCAP is all about.
The acronym Euro NCAP stands for "European New Car Assessment Programme". Established in 1997 and now backed by five European Governments, the European Commission and motoring and consumer organisations in every EU country, Euro NCAP has rapidly become a catalyst for encouraging significant safety improvements to new car design.
There are a number of members but those that may be known to UK site visitors are Department for Transport, European Commission, FIA Foundation and Thatcham.
Front impact test
Frontal impact test is based on that developed by European Enhanced Vehicle-safety Committee as basis for legislation, but impact speed has been increased by 8 km/h.
Frontal impact takes place at 64kph (40mph), car strikes deformable barrier that is offset.
Side Impact Test
Impact takes place at 50kph (30mph). Trolley fitted with a deformable front is towed into the driver's side of the car to simulate a side-on crash.
Pedestrian Impact Test
A series of tests are carried out to replicate accidents involving child and adult pedestrians where impacts occur at 40kph (25mph). Impact sites are then assessed and rated fair, weak and poor. As with other tests, these are based on European Enhanced Vehicle-safety Committee guidelines
Pole Test
In the test, the car tested is propelled sideways at 29kph(18mph) into a rigid pole. The pole is relatively narrow, so there is major penetration into the side of the car.
