Scania welcomes Euro NCAP’s truck testing

Scania participated at NCAP 24 in Munich, a conference where a new system for safety testing of heavy trucks was officially presented by the Euro NCAP organisation.

The Euro NCAP testing of heavy trucks goes beyond legal demands and has the potential, over time, to be a true driving force for increased safety, especially for vulnerable road users such as cyclists and pedestrians. The first round of test results will be disclosed in November this year.

“We see the Euro NCAP initiative as part of a new and interesting aspect in our development processes,” says Jacob Tharna, Head of Sustainable Transports at Scania Trucks.

“We at Scania have a solid reputation for our long-standing work with both active and passive safety in and around our trucks. The Euro NCAP testing will hopefully inspire the whole industry to step up their game and reach for the Euro NCAP stars,” he added.

Heavy trucks in Europe are subject to exhaustive legal demands and strict regulations regarding aspects such as weight, length, speed and driving times. But up until now the industry has lacked a common system for evaluating non-mandatory safety aspects and functions in a uniform, neutral way.

Currently, here in Australia, there are minimal legal demands on truck importers and manufacturers apart from the Australian Design Rules (ADRs). However, with Euro NCAP doing its testing, our regulators might take a closer look.

“Assessing safety-related functionality in trucks is a lot more complicated task than it is for passenger cars,” says Tharna. “Heavy trucks are very diverse and they are made that way for a reason.

“Euro NCAP’s approach to start on a small scale and learn as they go is a wise decision; it is complicated, for instance, to evaluate basic functions like road handling and manoeuvrability while they are both extremely important – and brand differentiating – from a safety aspect.”

According to Euro NCAP, heavy goods vehicles represent 1.5 per cent of all vehicles on Europe’s roads but are involved in 15 per cent of all road fatalities. Part of the explanation is that trucks are driven longer distances – often up to ten times more – than passenger cars, but it is still a fact that heavy trucks are over-represented in fatal accidents.

“The sheer size of trucks and their need for space are contributing factors, and that is why advanced driver assisting systems are so valuable,” says Tharna.

“We see a rapid development and use of sensors and cameras, and from Scania’s side we are convinced that they will help drive further increased safety for trucks as well. One should not have blind faith in support systems though; direct vision and skilled drivers are still basic and essential for true safety,” he concluded.