This Is Just How Much Safer Small Cars Have Become In 20 Years

Since Euro NCAP started crash-testing cars back in 1997, they have published over 630 safety ratings, crash-tested around 1,800 vehicles and spent over €160 million to make the automotive industry safer.

In order to showcase how far the industry has come in terms of safety, Euro NCAP put together a demonstration featuring two small family cars built 20 years apart, the 1997 Rover 100 and the 2015 Honda Jazz.

“We are very proud – as we mark 20 years at the forefront of road safety – that Euro NCAP’s programme of safety tests has achieved major, life-saving improvements in cars and has helped Europe reach the lowest road fatality rate for any region in the world,” stated Secretary General, Michiel van Ratingen.

“Euro NCAP has given millions of consumers the knowledge and confidence to choose the safest cars possible. Recent years have shown a slowdown in the progress rate, however, so we mustn’t take our foot off the gas. We want to ensure that Europe’s roads get even safer in the next 20 years, not just for car occupants but for all participants in traffic. We already test many more aspects of a car’s safety than we did when we started in 1997, and that is set to continue. Next year, we will test systems that recognise and avoid crashes with cyclists, and we’re lining up a very challenging roadmap for 2020 to 2025.”

Back in 1997, when the likes of the Ford Fiesta and VW Polo achieved three stars out of the then-maximum of four, models such as the top-selling Rover 100 scored only one star, while other similar small cars like the Fiat Punto, Nissan Micra, Opel Corsa and Renault Clio earned two-star ratings.

Due to the poor results, leading car manufacturers initially attacked the tests, claiming that it was impossible for a car to achieve four stars. However, five months later, Volvo’s S40 became the first-ever “four-star” car tested by Euro NCAP.

Of course now, cars battle for achieving five-star ratings – awarded not just for occupant and pedestrian protection, but also for their abilities to avoid a crash in the first place.