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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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