The primary mission of the various New Car Assessment Programs (NCAPs) around the world is to enhance vehicle safety and inform consumers about how well cars perform in safety tests. Although a five-star rating isn't mandatory for selling a car, falling short of this can put manufacturers at a competitive disadvantage. As a result, NCAP significantly influences car makers and the adoption of advanced safety technologies.

The US Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), creators of the US NCAP in the 1970s which later set the pattern for the rest of the world, recently finalized significant updates to its consumer-facing five-star safety ratings program. This critical initiative is part of the broader Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and underscores the government's commitment to enhancing road safety. The revisions integrate advanced driver assistance technologies, introduce a crashworthiness pedestrian protection program, and outline a strategic vision for future adaptations.

The updated system emphasizes cutting-edge safety technologies both inside and outside vehicles. These changes are set to redefine the parameters of vehicle safety testing, influencing stakeholders across the automotive sector.

Key enhancements

NHTSA's program now includes four pivotal advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) technologies: pedestrian automatic emergency braking (PAEB), lane keeping assist (LKA), blind spot warning (BSW), and blind spot intervention (BSI). The refinement of these testing protocols aims to enhance vehicle capabilities in crash avoidance, affecting how real-world driving scenarios are managed.

A significant focus is placed on forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking technologies. The updated procedures require a fusion of driver alerts and automated interventions to prevent collisions, especially in high-speed scenarios where driver response may be insufficient. These tougher criteria aim to increase the effectiveness of these systems in diverse conditions.

To maintain driver confidence, minimizing false positives in these systems is crucial. Adjustments ensure that technologies such as dynamic brake support only activate in critical conditions, balancing reliability and safety.

Blind spot and lane keeping technologies

Adding BSW and BSI technologies to the US NCAP arsenal further amplifies crash avoidance capabilities. These systems detect vehicles in adjacent lanes, enhancing lane change safety. The program also retains assessments for lane departure warning and introduces LKA, which is critical for preventing unintended lane departures.

Testing procedures simulate common scenarios to ensure these technologies perform reliably. For instance, BSW systems are assessed through converging and diverging lane tests, while BSI scenarios test diverse lane change situations. Inspired by European standards, the LKA assessment aligns test methods to evaluate technology efficacy across different road configurations, enhancing global safety harmonization.

Higher focus on pedestrian protection

PAEB technology is designed to avert crashes involving pedestrians or vulnerable road users. By utilizing advanced sensors, such as cameras and possibly light detection and ranging, these systems apply the brakes if the driver fails to act when a pedestrian is detected. The PAEB system's performance is evaluated under varied lighting conditions, reflecting real-world scenarios where visibility is often compromised.

A proposed crashworthiness pedestrian protection program aims to lower pedestrian injuries through innovative vehicle design. This program adapts European testing methodologies, assessing vehicles for their ability to absorb impact energy and minimize injury severity. In a shift from past practices, manufacturers will provide data demonstrating their vehicles' performance in pedestrian tests, with the NHTSA conducting selective verification. This collaboration between regulatory bodies and manufacturers is expected to enhance pedestrian safety outcomes.

Road map for safety ratings

Looking forward, the NHTSA has crafted a 10-year roadmap to continue evolving the NCAP. Upcoming phases will incorporate new assessments and update the overall vehicle rating system by 2027, potentially altering the industry's competitive landscape. As the inclusion of ADAS becomes standard, the NCAP aims to drive innovation, encouraging automakers and suppliers to meet evolving safety demands.

Over the years, the competitive benchmarking that NCAP allows has seen it operate as a 'soft' power. By testing the effectiveness of various technologies, it nudges automakers gently to incorporate more technology in pursuit of the all-important five-star rating without setting mandates.

For automakers, achieving a high NCAP rating will become imperative to maintain a competitive edge. Progressing the US NCAP criteria increases the demand for sophisticated technologies, fostering collaboration between manufacturers and suppliers. Suppliers, in turn, will need to innovate seamlessly integrated solutions to meet these updated standards.

Authored By: Rohan Hazarika, Senior Research Analyst, Supply Chain & Technology, S&P Global Mobility

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