Analysis of scores in pedestrian protection tests conducted by ANCAP between 2001 and 2017 indicates that the average score has improved from 7.5 to 25. This has been achieved by steady improvement in the design of relevant vehicle components. Many of these improvements are unlikely to have significant adverse effects on costs or vehicle appearance, provided that good design for pedestrian protection is taken into account early in the design phases for the vehicle.

Based on several real-world crash studies, it is estimated that the improvement of 17.5 points is associated with a 21% reduction in the risk of serious injury for pedestrians.

The improvement was likely driven by NCAP programs in Europe, Australia and Japan, the introduction of GTR9/UN127 in most developed nations (but not Australia) and, more recently, fleet demand for 5-star rated vehicles.