Since 2018, Euro NCAP has evaluated various Highway Assist systems offered by car manufacturers. Highway Assist, a comfort system, helps the driver to maintain a steady speed, to keep a safe distance from the car in front and to keep the vehicle in the centre of the lane by combining (intelligent) Adaptive Cruise Control with Lane Centering. However, the driver always needs to be responsible and engaged behind the wheel, and the assisted system is there to do just that – assist. Euro NCAP tests the capability of each system to support the driver under normal traffic driving conditions and investigates how the system ensures that the driver remains engaged in the driving task.
For the evaluation of Highway Assist systems, Euro NCAP has established dedicated testing and assessment protocols structured around two main areas: Assistance Competence and Safety Backup.
Assistance Competence assesses how well a driver assistance system supports the driver without encouraging misuse or over-reliance. In simple terms, it looks at the balance between driver engagement and vehicle automation.
Safety Backup focuses on how the vehicle protects occupants and other road users when something goes wrong – for example, if the driver fails to respond, misuses the system, or if the system reaches its operational limits.
Assisted driving gradings apply to optional equipment offered as standard or as option. Gradings are separately published from star ratings.
Vehicles graded Very Good are state-of-the-art ACC and Lane Centering systems with additional functions to support the driver and keep him engaged. These vehicles also provide a high-level safety back-up in challenging scenarios, utilizing the extended sensor set these vehicles are equipped with.
Both ACC and Lane Centering perform well in most situations and the system keeps the driver engaged. Good systems also contain some extra features to provide the driver more assistance and provide a good safety back-up.
ACC and Lane Centering generally perform well in the less challenging scenarios, but the system has a better performing safety back-up compared to Entry-graded vehicles. Unbalanced vehicles with a good safety back-up also end up in this category.
An Entry vehicle assistance system typically provides assistance in the less challenging scenarios and comprises only a basic ACC and Lane Centering system, with no additional features. Or, the system’s performance in Assistance Competence is highly unbalanced between Driver Engagement and Vehicle Assistance. The safety back-up is limited.
