How to safely earn five stars from Euro NCAP?

First simulations, then crash tests

When most people imagine safety testing they think of crash tests, but these come later in the development of a car’s safety. Increasingly, computer simulations are being used during the testing process that is supposed to result in five Euro NCAP stars. It’s fair to say that simulations set the right course for the car’s development, which the crash tests confirm or optimise. 

3D simulation of the latest-generation ŠKODA FABIA, another model awarded five NCAP stars

Safety is kept in mind from the very beginning of the car’s development. The very first clay models are scanned and converted into a number of points, curves and surfaces in the computer, which are then used to create the first concept car designs. This is followed by simulations to stress-test the various elements of the structure. 

After the exterior and interior design receive final approval, the entire car is constructed in the computer down to the smallest detail. The simulation models are then used to virtually examine all the stress conditions and optimise the car’s relevant properties such as rigidity, strength and crash behaviour, but also criteria such as longevity and acoustics.

Tests on “sleds” 

The load-bearing part of cars is developed so that it gives their occupants the best possible protection in conjunction with the restraint systems. The body must be able to absorb impact energy effectively in certain areas – which means they must deform in a controlled manner – while still being strong enough to protect the interior. In addition, some exterior parts have to meet the criteria of not posing a danger to vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians.

One factor influencing safety and Euro NCAP test results is the distribution of different types of steel in a car’s body - here in the ŠKODA OCTAVIA

Both whole cars and certain parts of them are subjected to crash testing – for example, the bonnet or bumper cover at the front of the car. In the case of pedestrian protection tests, these are tested with “impactors” that mimic parts of a pedestrian’s body. The aim is to create a pliant structure that will cause as little injury as possible to the pedestrian in the event of a collision. During the development of the latest-generation ŠKODA FABIA, the engineers fired these impactors at the car and its parts more than 200 times. Each individual test is preceded by around 140 virtual simulations to optimise the part.

A computer simulation showing a left-side frontal impact, focusing on the fuel rail’s contact with surrounding parts

The number of virtual tests is even higher in the case of the classic crash tests, where there are around 1,000 computer simulations per physical test. “This number continues to increase with each new generation of models. Even so, we crash test several dozen cars at each stage of development. Special sleds are used to test the strength and durability of the restraint systems, to test whether the airbags work optimally for all types of dummies and the different types of impact. Each of the airbags is activated approximately three hundred times during static testing," says Dušan Podzimek, project manager for midsize/MEB safety at ŠKODA Technical Development.

Four safety areas 

Specialists divide road vehicle safety into four areas: safe driving, active safety, passive safety and post-collision safety.

The first group includes aspects like seatbelt reminders or driver fatigue detection. This is an area where another leap forwards in safety is expected soon: cars will be equipped with interior cameras that can assess whether a person is fully focused on driving or whether a child is locked in the car. In the future, we can expect to see systems that communicate with traffic information or map data in real time.

Safety ratings are also influenced by various assistance systems - both the FABIA and ENYAQ iV have a Fatigue Recognition Assistant. Check out the video:

"The second group includes assistance systems that actively try to prevent collisions – for example, automatic braking in front of a car, pedestrian or cyclist, lane assist systems etc. In the near future, cars will get more radar systems, like radars that can see around the corner into an intersection, so to speak. This will gradually bring us closer to autonomous cars," says Podzimek. 

Another modern assistant helps keep the car in lane.

When a collision can’t be prevented, cars try to minimise injuries to road users. That's what passive safety involves: exterior crumple zones surrounding a rigid cabin that provides sufficient space for survival, and restraint systems such as seatbelts with force limiters and tensioners, airbags, child seats or head restraints.

An SOS button makes sure help is on the way after an accident or in other difficulties - here on the latest ŠKODA ENYAQ COUPÉ iV

Post-collision features include interaction with the emergency services after an accident. These days, every newly manufactured car already has an SOS button and a system that can call 112 and send dispatchers the car’s location, the speed at impact and the number of occupants wearing seatbelts. In the future, other information such as the driver’s pulse, images from the in-car camera or battery charge status for electric cars will also be sent.

How do you earn five stars? Extensive technologies help

The minimum mandatory safety equipment for the Euro NCAP tests is determined by the homologation regulations, of course. But that only gets you so far. ŠKODA cars also achieve the best five-star rating thanks to the latest safety technologies: in addition to front and front side airbags, these include curtain head airbags for both the front and rear seat rows, or the new central airbag, which deploys in the middle between the driver’s and passenger’s heads. Dual seatbelt tensioners, which are more effective than a knee airbag, are also a new safety feature in the cars.

ŠKODA ENYAQ COUPÉ iV and its complete set of airbags, including the centre airbag

“In the near future, increasingly advanced safety systems will be required that adapt their restraint function to different body sizes or weights and even the age of the person. With Car2Car communication, cars will send warnings to each other: the car in front has lost control, watch out for a lorry or motorbike out of its lane in the opposite direction, and so on. And the car itself will react to the situation. With the advent of autonomous cars that will offer relaxed seating positions or the ability to rotate the seats, restraint systems will become a part of the seats," says Podzimek, giving us a glimpse of the future.