EuroNCAP crash tests. For safety reasons they crash new cars

Organization Euro NCAP for 20 years of its existence has broken almost 2000 cars. However, they don't do it maliciously. They do it for our safety.

Recent crash tests show that the level of safety of new cars offered on the European market is constantly improving. Today there are only individual cars that deserve less than 3 stars. On the other hand, the number of top 5-star students is on the rise.

Last year alone, Euro NCAP crash-tested 70 new cars offered on the European market. And since its inception (established in 1997), it has wrecked - to improve the safety of all of us - almost 2000 cars. Today it is becoming more and more difficult to achieve the maximum five-star score in the Euro NCAP tests. The criteria are getting tougher. Despite this, the number of cars awarded 5 stars continues to grow. So how do you choose a safer car from the few that have the same rating? The yearly Best in Class titles, which have been awarded to the best cars in every segment since 2010, can help with this. To win this title, you need not only to get five stars, but also the highest possible results in the protection of adult passengers, children, pedestrians and safety.

In this regard, it was definitely Volkswagen last year that won three out of seven. Polo (supermini), T-Roc (small SUVs) and Arteon (limousines) were the best in their classes. The remaining three went to Subaru XV, Subaru Impreza, Opel Crossland X and Volvo XC60. In a total of eight years, Volkswagen has received as many as six of these prestigious awards (“Best in Class” has been awarded by Euro NCAP since 2010). Ford has the same number of titles, other manufacturers such as Volvo, Mercedes and Toyota have 4, 3 and 2 "Best in Class" titles respectively.

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The Euro NCAP organization continues to tighten the criteria that must be met in order to receive the maximum five-star rating. Despite this, as many as 44 of the 70 vehicles surveyed last year deserved it. On the other hand, 17 cars received only 3 stars.

It is worth analyzing the results of cars that received three stars. A good result, especially for small cars. The group of "three-star" cars in 2017 included, including Kia Picanto, Kia Rio, Kia Stonik, Suzuki Swift and Toyota Aygo. They were tested twice - in the standard version and equipped with a "safety package", i.e. elements that increase the safety of passengers. And the result of this procedure is clearly visible - Aygo, Swift and Picanto improved by one star, while Rio and Stonic received the maximum ratings. As it turns out, small ones can be safe too. Therefore, when buying a new car, you should think about buying additional security packages. In the case of Kia Stonic and Rio, this is an additional cost of PLN 2000 or PLN 2500 - this is how much you will have to pay for the Kia Advanced Driving Assistance package. It includes, among others, Kia Brake Assist and LDWS - Lane Departure Warning System. In more expensive versions, the package is supplemented by a car warning system in the blind spot of the mirrors (surcharge increases to PLN 4000).

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Small can also be safe in the base variety. The Volkswagen Polo and T-Roc results prove it. Both models come standard with Front Assist, which monitors the space in front of the car. If the distance to the vehicle in front is too short, it will warn the driver with graphical and audible signals and also brake the vehicle. Front Assist prepares the braking system for emergency braking, and when it determines that a collision cannot be avoided, it automatically applies full braking. Importantly, the system also recognizes cyclists and pedestrians.

So before you buy a car, let's consider whether it's better to add a little and buy a car with advanced security systems or choose those models that already have them as standard.