London - Euro NCAP continues to raise vehicle safety standards with new, more demanding challenges on safety technology to help protect vulnerable road users, including the introduction of the first cycling-detection test.
According to to Euro NCAP: "As road casualty numbers plateau, more action is needed to ensure that new vehicles offer the latest and best safety technology.
"For this reason, 2018 sees the introduction of a raft of new tests in Euro NCAP’s assessments, addressing key crash scenarios involving cars, pedestrians and now also the growing number of cyclists."
Vulnerable road user protection a priority in latest enhancements to #EuroNCAP active safety tests. Full details on https://t.co/irp5MRnTth. #ForSaferCars #Safety4All pic.twitter.com/qfI0YhxbyA
— Euro NCAP (@EuroNCAP) April 25, 2018
Other rating updates for 2018 include testing of pedestrian detection in darkness and obscure lighting conditions to ensure these systems work at all times.
Michiel van Ratingen, Secretary General of Euro NCAP, said: "These latest updates in Euro NCAP's active safety testing focus on both the protection of those inside the car and those who share road-space with it.
"Our new assessments demonstrate the increasing level of sophistication that can be achieved by connecting various sensor systems installed on the vehicle. As the cost of these systems drops and computing capabilities increase, standard vehicles will soon become able to help prevent significantly more complex real-life crashes.
"Euro NCAP seeks to encourage this trend and in the context of a safe systems approach, will continue to challenge auto makers to deliver the highest levels of safety performance as standard, for car occupants and vulnerable road users."