Crash test to highlight disparity in car safety standards

Global NCAP, a UK-based non-profit organisation that supports the development of new car assessment programmes (NCAPs) around the world – has organised a special crash test that is designed to demonstrate the disparity between car safety standards in different nations.
The test, which will take place in USA later this month, will be a collision between two sedans cars of the same type, from the same manufacturer. Both, will be entry-level spec, but one will be from the Mexican market and the other from the US market.

Global NCAP predicts a graphic representation of the difference in standard safety features in the two countries, and warns that it’s a situation repeated around the world. It hopes the test will encourage governments to regulate for better car safety standards, prompt large global fleets to be more considerate about which vehicles they buy, and put pressure on manufacturers to voluntarily raise safety standards in all markets.

“It’s very globally relevant. Roughly speaking, 50 percent of new vehicles worldwide are manufactured in emerging markets and sold both in those markets and back to high-income countries. However, there are large parts of the world where there are no effective vehicle safety standards,” said David Ward, secretary general of Global NCAP.The UN sets safety standards that are more-or-less the same as in high-income countries such as the US, UK and in Europe, but Ward said implementation of the standards in developing nations was “very hit and miss”. He added, “We’re trying to encourage, by 2020, that all major vehicle producing countries apply appropriate UN-based or equivalent standards, so that you create a common level playing field of safety globally.”

Global NCAP is particularly looking to promote adoption of front and side crash test standards, which have been in place in Europe and the UK since the 1990s, and electronic stability control. The manufacturer of the cars participating in the special test is yet to be announced, and is not officially supporting the test. The two test vehicles will crash into each other with a 50 percent overlap and a combined closing speed of 129kph. Ward said the test isn't a particular dig at that specific manufacturer, but instead is representative of several around the world.Ward added that the upcoming crash test – which will feature test dummies but won’t lead to any official safety ratings – should provide a stark example of Global NCAP’s case.

“We haven’t had the crash yet but we expect that the body shell of the Mexican car will collapse,” he said. “It doesn’t have airbags, and the other car has a better bodyshell and airbags. You’ll see very graphically the benefits of the safer vehicle, and it should be a very interesting test.”