Euro NCAP has officially announced a major milestone in the development towards a Truck Safe rating scheme. This is in direct response to data showing that while trucks represent only 3% of vehicles on Europe’s roads they are involved in almost 15% of all EU road fatalities. At NCAP24, in front of an audience of international road safety experts and industry, Euro NCAP will showcase what elements the organisation is currently considering as part of a future Truck Safe rating and how it intends to evaluate and benchmark truck performance.
Trucks play a vital role in a vibrant and productive economy. However, data shows there is a disproportionate number of truck-related fatalities across Europe. Euro NCAP’s future rating scheme is designed to go further and faster than current EU truck safety regulations, while also driving innovation and balancing the needs of the different commercial vehicle sectors across Europe.
Sadly, when trucks are involved in crashes, their size and weight mean there is a greater risk of fatalities – especially for more vulnerable road users (VRUs). Euro NCAP has highlighted the need for trucks to be better equipped with life-saving technologies, particularly related to crash avoidance, vision, and aspects of post-crash rescue. The protocols announced will be formally published next month and demonstrate that best practice test methods developed over the last decade for passenger cars can be turned into useful guidelines for the design of future, safer heavy trucks. By publicly presenting the procedures and requirements ahead of the rating, we hope that the industry will take note and react accordingly. At NCAP24, we are delighted to be joined by key stakeholders in the industry and vehicle manufacturers including DAF, Scania, Volvo, and ZF who are demonstrating their state-of-the-art technologies.
— Dr. Michiel van Ratingen, Secretary General Euro NCAP
Over the past 12 months, we have worked closely with vehicle manufacturers to develop the tests and consulted with different stakeholders across Europe including distributors, hauliers, insurers, city authorities, legislators, and strategic road organisations to fully understand the complexities of making trucks and roads safer.
The future Truck Safe rating will incentivise good safety performance in both cities and highways and allow optimisation of operational safety and cost. New regulatory requirements have forced manufacturers to increase safety performance. However, our aim is to progress towards best practices in all types of vehicle safety, rather than just meeting minimum standards, a goal we have successfully achieved with passenger cars.
Euro NCAP’s new Truck Safe rating scheme will be a first for the sector and will enable all stakeholders in the freight industry to identify and assess the safety level of trucks. Not only will this deliver enhanced safety for drivers but also create opportunities for those operators that invest in the safest vehicles, making the scheme attractive to insurers and freight shippers alike. In creating a market for safety, Euro NCAP will encourage manufacturers and suppliers to innovate, further increasing the safety benefits of the scheme as the ratings evolve.
All protocols and requirements are being developed in collaboration with Euro NCAP members, and test facilities and reviewed with manufacturers.
