Euro NCAP has already been testing the safety of cars with crash tests for over 20 years. In the future, they would also like to test motorcycles in order to use the data collected to improve motorcycle safety as well.
Euro NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) has been testing the safety of cars for more than 20 years. The data collected is then fed into car development, improving their safety more and more and which has probably already saved thousands of lives.
Basically, it’s a great concept, and there’s probably no reason not to extend it to motorcycles as well.
Motorcycles will be tested from 2024 at the latest
More and more assistance systems are finding their way into motorcycles, but you often only notice how well they work when it’s too late. Euro NCAP would like to adapt its own tests for motorcycles in the future in order to simulate situations in typical traffic conditions and by including weather variables.
As Euro NCAP announces, from 2024 they want to test adaptive cruise control systems not only in highway simulations, but also on other roads. This also mentions motorcycles, which will also be subjected to these tests. In the future, they would like to make their test system as realistic as possible, with all relevant variables.
One can expect a certain development here. In the beginning, typical rear-end collisions (motorcycle – passenger car / passenger car – motorcycle) will probably be tested first, and then the tests will be expanded more and more. One speaks here of tests of anti-lock braking systems, cornering ABS, traction control systems, combined braking systems, blind spot information system, automatic emergency call or stability aids. Personal protective equipment could also be tested by Euro NCAP in the future.
The data obtained will provide motorcycle manufacturers or the manufacturers and programmers of assistance systems (e.g. Bosch) with further information about the effectiveness of their systems. These can then be improved or adapted accordingly, which will increase motorcycling safety in the long term.
Vision 2030
Vision 2030 was also mentioned in this context. Here, basically everything that occurs in road traffic (also in the future) is to be tested, such as a communication between different vehicles, from vehicles to infrastructure, autonomous driving, the thermal breakdown of electric vehicles, etc.
