Euro NCAP to launch new Truck Safety rating scheme
Wed, 12 Apr 2023
Euro NCAP, the European New Car Assessment Programme, has announced the launch of a new rating scheme for the safety of heavy trucks.
The Truck Safe City and Highway rating scheme will enable those in the freight industry to assess the safety of equipment in their fleets, thereby creating a market for safe technology and allowing manufacturers to innovate and improve their offerings within a clear framework for safety grounded in Euro NCAP principles.
Euro NCAP's latest report, Safer Trucks: on the Road to Vision Zero, highlights the need for improved truck safety.
HGVs, which represent nearly 1.5% of vehicles on Europe’s roads, are involved in almost 15% of all EU road fatalities. The new rating scheme is expected to be a strong tool in addressing this major issue on the region’s roads.
The Truck Safe City and Highway rating scheme comprises a dual rating for city and highway environments. All vehicles will be rated against both sets of criteria and if vehicle operators buy a vehicle for a specific use, they only need to consider the appropriate rating. Only general-purpose vehicles require good performance in both ratings.
Advanced Driver Assistance technologies, which are now standard on most European cars, have contributed to more than a 40% reduction in some crashes.
However, heavy trucks, which have the very same crashes, don't have this technology fitted, leading to a disproportionate number of casualties in crashes involving heavy vehicles.
The Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) has welcomed the new rating scheme, noting that head-on crashes, especially with heavy trucks, are one of the biggest challenges in developing a safe road transport system in the country.
Euro NCAP's Secretary-General Michiel van Ratingen said that creating a market where the safest choice of vehicle is the most profitable choice of vehicle will be critical to success. The new rating scheme is expected to create incentives for the adoption of safe technology in the industry, thereby reducing road accidents and fatalities.
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