Democratise Car Safety Says Global NCAP Secretary General
Speaking at the 2015 Transportation Research Board in Washington DC, David Ward, the Secretary General of Global NCAP, has called for “the democratisation of auto safety so that acceptable levels of crash protection should be available to all car buyers worldwide”. Describing universal adoption of UN crash test standards together with consumer safety rating as the winning formula for car safety, Ward urged the automotive industry to accept Global NCAP’s proposals for a regulatory road map to be implemented by the end of the UN Decade of Action.
“By 2020”, Ward told the TRB’s Global Road Safety Committee, “we want to see all passenger cars meeting the basic UN occupant and pedestrian protection standards and be fitted with the crash avoidance system, electronic stability control”. Setting out a timetable for their introduction, Ward said that “these life saving features should not be considered luxuries for the better off, but standard fit for all new car buyers”.
Comparing the injury risk of models scoring between five and zero stars, Ward warned that, “As consumers become aware of the huge difference in levels of protection, there will be no future for sub-standard zero star rated cars”. He highlighted the strong progress both ASEAN and Latin NCAP have made in promoting five star levels of safety in their rapidly motorising regions far ahead of regulatory requirements. “Industry is already responding as consumers increasingly demand cars that will offer adequate crash protection and crash avoidance capabilities. This is the upward path that car makers should promote; universalising the use of safety technologies that will become more affordable as the market for them grows in all world regions.”
Ward also warmly welcomed recent progress in India where the Government has committed to apply the UN’s front and side impact crash test standards and Toyota has decided to fit air bags across their passenger car range. “These are exactly the actions we want to see during the UN Decade and make our ambitious but realistic road map a feasible outcome by 2020”, he said.
Global NCAP’s detailed ‘Road Map for Safer Cars 2020’ will be released later this year in advance of the 2nd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety to be hosted by the Brazilian Government on 18-19 November. The Ministerial conference will be held in Brasilia and will carry out a mid-term review of progress in the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety.
YOUTUBE
