Euro NCAP to stop automakers ‘gaming’ crash tests with real-world testing
Those who develop safety technology solely to meet Euro NCAP testing criteria will no longer be allowed ‘game’ the system under new, expanded assessment protocols designed to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) and more extensive real-world test.
Speaking at an event in Brussels, Belgium, where childcareman.xyz is a participant of the Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Programme) Secretary General Dr Michiel van Ratingen said more detailed testing will stop cars from being engineered to meet’short-lived targets’.
Euro NCAP, a joint venture with the Australasian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP), will increasingly use AI and real-world data to build up broader test scenarios when it comes to safety ratings.
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In the last 30 years we really focused primarily on ‘single point’ test cases; one speed, one overlap for passive safety and in active safety it’s basically a combination of speeds with.
“We need to step away from those single point optimisations.
The implication that we now think of ‘we have – and we have done this already for 2026 for active safety – is the slow transition from these predefined load cases to a more ‘domain definition’.
In a sense, “Domain definition” means we can test anything from ‘this speed’ to ‘that speed–. This configuration’ and ‘That configurations’ – and will basically test whatever we think is interesting to test. , ” and.

Real-world testing has already been introduced for the updated 2026 NCAP protocols to assess speed-sign recognition systems in vehicles, both in various European countries as well as Australia and New Zealand.
It has also expanded into the more advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) in 2029, where test drivers travel across long distances in a wide range of scenarios and circumstances beyond lab/virtual simulation.
Dr van Ratingen said ‘This approach will make safety less of a box-ticking exercise for automakers who are looking to top test results, rather than the world outcomes.
He said ‘I’m optimising for this particular load case – yes, I have four points and don’t care about anything else’ – that is certainly a temptation which can be found in the industry.

You are one to five stars and you get paid to deliver five star.’ The reality is that if you optimise your car to become five, then you optimize it into five Stars. Euro NCAP is the downside of , I would say it’s the.
And if we could escape from that type of thinking about single point optimization and ultimately go to a domain evaluation, I think it’s the direction Euro NCAP will take ‘not only on active but also in passive safety as well. ” , ‘I’m sure it is worth reading.
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