Feb. 2, 2017—Reports from Thatcham Research show more than 182,000 deaths and injuries have been saved on UK roads since Euro NCAP car safety tests were launched 20 years ago.
The tests, conducted by Thatcham Research, were introduced in February 1997. The company aimed to expose hidden dangers in top-selling family cars, hoping to shift the way vehicles were designed to prevent injuries and save lives. Twenty years on, nine out of 10 cars sold on the European market hold a Euro NCAP rating.
In 2015, 15,000 fewer car occupants were killed and seriously injured. Thatcham Research estimates that advances driven by rigorous testing has helped deliver a 63 percent reduction in car occupants killed and seriously injured, from 23,000 in 1997 to 8,500 in 2015.
Over the same period, the number of pedestrians and cyclists killed or seriously injured has fallen by 40 percent, from 14,500 in 1997 to 8,500 in 2015.
Thatcham Research is urging consumers to further boost Britain’s road safety record by making a commitment to buy only models with a five-star Euro NCAP rating and a collision avoidance technology like autonomous emergency braking and lane assist systems.
“As we mark 20 years at the forefront of road safety, we are very proud that Euro NCAP’s programme of safety tests has achieved major, life-saving improvements in cars and has helped Europe reach the lowest road fatality rate for any region in the world,” said Euro NCAP Secretary General Michiel van Ratingen.
Below is a video that illustrates the advancements Euro NCAP has made with car safety tests.
