Euro NCAP - the independent body which runs a renowned series of crash and active safety tests for cars on sale in Europe, and which has links to other safety bodies around the world - has announced that it's changing the way it evaluates new cars and their safety credentials.
What is NCAP changing?
According to NCAP, this new set of testing regs, which comes into force in 2026, will be the biggest change to its tests since 2009. Indeed, the entire methodology around the test will be changing, and cars will now be scored in four key areas: safe driving, crash avoidance, crash protection, and post-crash safety.
NCAP says that this is all based on the 'Haddon Matrix,' an analysis tool developed by a famous injuries professor, William Haddon, in 1970, and which is used to help work out what has happened in a crash, and why.
So, each safety system - physical and electronic - will be tested individually, but will also be tested as part of a holistic whole.
Does this mean more annoying beeps? Or fewer?
Hopefully fewer. Car makers have met recent safety legislation surrounding active speed warnings, lane departure control, and drive attention monitoring, in often very blunt ways, which can be as much of a distraction in and of themselves as anything else. Surveys have shown that drivers, in large numbers, are choosing to switch such systems off rather than endure their endless bings and bongs, which means they're hardly of much use.
NCAP's new setup will have: "the aim of improving consumer acceptance” of such systems, noting that: "driver assistance systems, which have faced criticism for annoying warnings or intrusive interventions, will be evaluated not only on their crash-prevention abilities on the test track, but also during real-world driving.”
Well, that will be a relief, not least because NCAP will now be carrying out: "verification of speed-limit information accuracy will be conducted during on-road driving tests.” Given how often car dashboards give the wrong speed limit information, that may cause an interesting failure rate (although poor local signage must also carry some of the blame here).
What about an over-reliance on touchscreens?
Yes, NCAP has already served notice on car makers that, in the coming years, an over-reliance on screens and a lack of physical buttons could prevent them from getting a full five-star safety score. Indeed, under the new 'Safe Driving' element of the test, NCAP explicitly says: "New assessments of the human-machine interface (HMI) are introduced, evaluating the placement, clarity, and ease of use of essential controls - including the availability of physical buttons for commonly used functions, which consumer feedback suggests can reduce distraction.”
Other changes will include extra points for cars that can recognise 'pedal mis-application' (or, in other words, accidentally stamping on the accelerator instead of the brake), and there will be a focus on how active electronic safety systems behave at low speeds around cyclists and pedestrians.
What about door handles?
Yes, that's going to be a focus now too, not least following a series of high-profile road deaths in the US, Germany, and China, where rescuers and first-responders were unable to gain access to the cabins of burning vehicles whose electronic door locks had failed. NCAP says that: "New post-crash requirements include ensuring that electrically powered exterior door handles remain operable after an impact, enabling easier access to first responders. Electric vehicles must also correctly manage the isolation of their high-voltage battery.” There will also have to be an active warning system that tells a driver that their battery is in danger of catching fire, and there will now have to be more sophisticated cabin monitoring systems, which can tell emergency services, automatically, how many people are in the car.
According to Dr Michiel van Ratingen, Secretary General of Euro NCAP: "Every three years, we re-examine our star rating criteria with the simple aim of reducing vehicle-related deaths and serious injuries. The 2026 protocols further strengthen the rigour and relevance of our tests, rewarding vehicles that perform well across all stages of safety - before, during, and after a crash. The updates to protocols ensure that Euro NCAP's testing, analysis, and ratings remain the definitive guide for consumers who value an impartial guide to the safety of the latest cars. Euro NCAP continues to advance safety standards across all aspects of vehicle design, and the 2026 protocols embody this commitment by encouraging manufacturers to adopt and enhance life-saving technologies. The intended outcome is improved protection for vehicle occupants and all road users through more effective driver assistance, robust accident prevention, enhanced crash protection, and improved post-crash management.