This paper summarises recent international NCAP programs and results. New Car Assessment Programs (NCAPs) are now running on four continents - Australia, United States, Japan and Europe. All use one or both of the standardised 56 km/h full frontal and the 64 km/h offset with deformable barrier tests.

Australian NCAP (ANCAP) commenced in 1992 and has now tested over 60 models. ANCAP has recognised the global nature of the car manufacturing industry and has developed the testing program to align with existing consumer crash testing programs operating overseas and to suit the types of crashes resulting in fatalities and serious injuries in Australia.

ANCAP will continue to push the bounds of technology to achieve improvements in occupant protection of passenger cars. ANCAP was the first consumer crash testing program that combined both full frontal and offset crash tests to produce a more accurate and meaningful result. The marked improvements in protection for occupants in passenger cars that are involved in frontal collisions in Australia shows that ANCAP has been very successful.

In the last few years NCAP programs have started in Europe and Japan and both include pedestrian impact tests that are not yet conducted in Australia. Side impact crash standards have been introduced in the US, Europe and in Australia. Pedestrian impact standards are under development in a number of countries. AXCAP intends to introduce a side impact test program in the near future.

Other NCAPs are also looking at enhancements to programs and possible future directions. For instance, research has begun in the US on a dynamic test that will provide a reliable measure of a vehicle’s rollover susceptibility.