Pedestrian safety
Will the design features that are necessary to ensure good frontal impact performance inevitably be detrimental for pedestrians? Has the safety assessment for pedestrians changed?
Will the design features that are necessary to ensure good frontal impact performance inevitably be detrimental for pedestrians?
No. The strength of the structure to give good frontal impact protection does not need to be on the outside of the car body. An effective design for bonnet structure with the position of hard structures kept underneath gives good pedestrian performance. The two are not incompatible or mutually exclusive.
Has the safety assessment for pedestrians changed?
Euro NCAP released a separate star rating for pedestrian valid from 1997 to 2009. The pedestrian protection rating was based on the adult and child head form tests and the two legform tests. As of 2009, the pedestrian score has become integral part of the overall rating scheme, however the technical assessment has remained the same.