Technology is evolving quickly and more and more of the driving function is being handed to the vehicle. Given that a significant portion of road accidents are attributable to "driver error", the potential safety benefits of increased automation are clear, if the automation is at least as competent as the driver in complex traffic situations. It is therefore in Euro NCAP’s interests to raise awareness of the technologies that exists and to promote their introduction in such a way that these safety benefits are realised.

Based on the Euro NCAP’s existing active safety testing protocols, extended test scenarios were derived that cover the Operational Design Domain of currently available SAE Level 2 systems. These systems are designed for use on motorways where speeds up to 130 km/h are most typical on European roads. With the first round of evaluating Assisted Driving technologies, Euro NCAP is entering a whole new area of safety and safety assessments where public expectations are high yet understanding may be low. Euro NCAP is striving to promote automated driving technologies while at the same time raise awareness of their safety benefits and moreover their limitations.