USA: Stamping ratings of collision avoidance on cars

NCAP was born in 1979 in the US, including many vehicle safety tests to encourage manufacturers to make vehicles safer for consumers. Each country has its own vehicle safety assessment program.

Recently, there are many opinions that the US NCAP is lagging behind other countries. In the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill President Biden signed into law last year, Congress requires NHTSA to make public its plan to update the NCAP to improve standards.

Testing the vehicle’s automatic emergency braking feature

On March 3, NHTSA published 6 proposals to improve NCAP, thereby improving traffic safety.

1. The first proposal is to add 4 driver assistance technologies to the test, including blind spot detection (BSD), blind spot intervention (BSI), automatic lane keeping (ALKS) and automatic braking emergency (PAEB). This is the first time NHTSA has proposed to consider the safety of people around the vehicle.

2. Reinforce current safety testing procedures and performance criteria of driver assistance technologies.

3. Establish a 10-year roadmap for future NCAP updates.

4. Collect feedback to improve the driver assistance technology rating system.

5. Add new technology such as alcohol detection device, seat belt buckle, driver monitoring system and intelligent speed keep assist. Regarding the speed-keeping assist feature, the driver can set the vehicle to not exceed the allowable speed limit. This feature is already popular in European countries.

6. Stamp the crash avoidance ratings on new and used car windows.

The recommendations help consumers better understand the safety of the vehicle, thereby choosing to buy the right vehicle.

In January of this year, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a National Road Safety Strategy, aimed at addressing the crisis of motor vehicle deaths and serious injuries. NCAP is part of this strategy, with the ultimate aim of reducing road traffic deaths.

In the first 9 months of 2021, it is estimated that the number of accidental deaths reached 31,720 cases, 12% higher than the same period last year.

US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said 3,000 people die each month on US roads and this number has been increasing in recent years. “Drivers need the latest safety technology when buying a new vehicle,” said Minister Pete.

Intelligent Recovery(according to NHTSA, Autoblog)