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Adult occupant protection 
Frontal impact driver | 
Frontal impact passenger | 
Side impact driver |  |
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Child restraints No child occupant protection data available |
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Pedestrian protection No image car front available |
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Safety equipment | Front seatbelt pretensioners |  |
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| Front seatbelt load limiters | |
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| Driver frontal airbag | |
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| Front passenger frontal airbag |  |
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| Side body airbags | |
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| Side head airbags | |
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| Driver knee airbag | |
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Car details | Tested model | Renault Megane 1.6 RT |
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| Body type | 5 Doors |
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| Year of publication | 1998 |
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| Kerb weight | 1060 |
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Comments Of the four-star cars, the Mégane provided the best combined protection for the driver and passenger in the frontal impact. However, protection for the driver's chest was weak in the side impact, although it would pass legislation due to affect new models from October. And in the frontal impact, the child restraints allowed their occupants too much forward head movement. Finally, pedestrian protection was not good because of the high risk of injury in most of the tests and only one star was awarded.
Front impact
The passenger compartment maintained its stability throughout the impact. The driver's airbag provided a stable contact for the head but it appears to have just 'bottomed out'. The airbag's exhaust vent is stitched closed and is designed to rip open as gas pressure increases. However, when it did, escaping fumes were directed into the passenger's face (left). Two pads were provided to improve protection in the knee impact areas around the steering column. These could protect the knees against concentrated loads but for some knee positions, high loads could still be a problem for the upper legs.
Side impact
The driver's head struck the upper seat belt anchorage but the level of protection provided was nonetheless good. Protection for his abdomen and pelvis was assessed as 'good', but his chest area faced the greatest risk of injury.
Child-protection
The forward-facing restraint recommended for the three-year-old was compatible with the car belts but in the frontal test it allowed the child's head to move too far forward. However, in the side impact it worked well to contain the child's head. A rearward-facing restraint was recommended for the smaller child and was secured on the centre seat using the standard-fit three-point belt. The restraint's protective shell fractured in several places during the frontal impact, however, and failed to keep the child's head from moving too far forward. It also failed to contain its head in the side impact.
Pedestrian protection
It appears that the Mégane's designers have paid little heed to pedestrian protection. Twelve out of 18 test sites rated as 'poor' and the remainder rated as 'weak'.
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