ABM Q4 - Flipbook - Page 67
FEATURE
TESTING THE LIMITS
The Rover 100
underwent a
frontal impact
test at 64km/h
for Euro NCAP’s
20th anniversary.
Originally it had
been tested in
1997 and received
a dismal one-star
safety rating for
adult occupant
protection
are tested and infrastructure is built.
Women are 60% more likely to be
injured than men in the same collision,
according to a study by researchers
at Graz University of Technology (TU
Graz), Austria. Another study from the
National Library of Medicine shows that
women are 17% more likely to die in a
car accident.
Shorter drivers, disproportionately
comprising women, sit closer to the
steering wheel, and so are more likely
to experience forceful impact from a
deploying airbag – showing that even
protective measures can pose a risk
when built for different bodies.
The issue goes beyond the safety
of the vehicle itself. Inclusive design
encompasses elements such as poor
lighting in public parking and refuelling
spaces, and disabled access to electric
vehicle (EV) charging points.
For an industry that prides itself on
stringent testing and meticulous design,
vast numbers of drivers are being let
down by the very testing that aims to
keep them safe.
In its current form
The current state of safety testing in
the UK and wider Europe is shaped by
Euro NCAP, an independent organisation
aimed at improving the safety of
modern cars. Euro NCAP currently uses
eight different dummy types to test its
vehicles: five male, one adult female, and
two children. This begs the question: why
is one female dummy sufficient, when
there are five that represent diverse male
body types?
The female dummy, ‘Hybrid III’,
represents a ‘small female body’, with
the website stating under its description:
“This dummy is very similar to the midsized male version but is smaller in size
and has some feminine attributes.”
There is still some way to go in
representing women and diverse bodies
in official testing, but this does at least
mark an improvement. In the 1990s, for
example, the only crash tests required in
the UK were 30mph frontal crash tests,
where there was no dummy and the pass
mark was determined on how much the
wheel had moved.
Edmund King, president at the AA
recalls: "These tests were dramatic.
The Rover 100 was described as having
‘improved safety features’ – it had side
impact bars and an optional driver
airbag – but my first sight of the car after
the frontal crash test made me shake
and feel sick. Even today, looking at the
pictures of the half-squashed Rover
makes me feel uneasy.”
Jon Wakefield, managing director at
AION, explains that safety in vehicles has
changed tremendously over the years,
affecting the way that vehicles are built.
In its current iteration, manufacturers
are much more focused on proactive
safety in vehicles, which he describes as
a drive to “prevent accidents, prevent
harm to people outside the car and harm
to people inside the car.”
During its evolution, Euro NCAP has
introduced four pillars: Safe Driving,
Crash Avoidance, Post Crash, and Crash
Protection. These aim to enhance safety
testing to ensure the driver is safe from →
Q4 2026
AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS
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