Global NCAP At UN World Forum For Vehicle Standards
A presentation on the work of Global NCAP has been given to the United Nations Forum for Harmonisation of Vehicle Regulations (UNECE WP29). David Ward, Global NCAP’s Secretary General, gave WP29 delegates an update on the inaugural annual meeting in Malaysia and described the organisation’s current activities supporting Latin and ASEAN NCAP.
The UN Forum is the world’s main source of vehicle safety standards and brings together governments from North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Africa. WP29 develops a wide range of safety and emissions related regulations under two international agreements adopted in 1958 and 1998. These include standards for front and side impact (ECE Regulation 94 & 95) that are widely used as a basis for consumer crash test programmes.
David Ward’s presentation explained the origins of New Car Assessment Programmes in the US initiative taken in 1978 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and traced their growth across the world promoting a market for safer automobiles. He outlined the aims and governance of Global NCAP and highlighted its relevance to the UN’s Decade of Action for Road Safety. He also drew attention to the UN General Assembly’s recently adopted resolution (A/66/L.43) which, inter alia, “Further encourages the implementation of new car assessment programmes in all regions of the world in order to foster availability of consumer”. David Ward described the resolution as an important endorsement of Global NCAP’s mission and the role of NCAPs by the international community.
Also contributing to the Forum’s discussion was Christopher Bonanti (NHTSA’s Associate Administrator for Rulemaking) who represented WP29 at Global NCAP’s Annual Meeting in Malaysia and gave an update on US NCAP. In closing the session WP29’s chairman, Bernard Gauvin, stressed the positive synergies that exist between the Forum’s regulatory work and NCAP’s consumer related activities, and thanked both David Ward and Christopher Bonanti for their presentations. He concluded by extending an open invitation to Global NCAP to provide further updates on its activities to future WP29 meetings.
YOUTUBE
