Latin NCAP
The New Car Assessment Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean (Latin NCAP) offers to consumers independent and transparent information about the safety levels that car models have in the market.
Latin NCAP tests are based in international renown methodologies, with vehicles awarded with a safety rating between 0 and 5 stars, indicating the protection the cars offer to adult and child occupants. Latin NCAP always test the most basic safety version of a car model available in the market.
Started in 2010 as a joint initiative and in 2014 was established as an association under legal entity framework. To improve vehicle safety, the establishment of NCAPs in all world regions, including Latin America, is a recommendation of the Global Plan for the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.[1]
Aims
- Provide consumers across the Latin American & Caribbean region with independent and impartial safety assessment of new cars
- Encourage manufacturers to improve the safety performance of the vehicles they offer for sale in the Latin American & Caribbean region
- Encourage governments across the Latin American & Caribbean region to apply UN vehicle crash test regulations to passenger cars
Active Members
- ASPEC
- Automóvil Club Boliviano (Founding member)
- Automóvil Club de Chile (Founding member)
- Automóvil Club de Colombia (Founding member)
- Automóvil Club de Costa Rica (Founding member)
- Automóvil Club del Uruguay (Founding member)
- Centro para la Defensa del Consumidor
- CESVI Argentina
- CESVI Brasil
- CESVI Colombia
- Consumidores Argentinos (Founding member)
- Federación Iberoamericana de Asociaciones de Víctimas contra la Violencia Vial (FICVI) (Founding member)
- FIA Region IV (Founding member)
- Fundación Gonzalo Rodríguez (Founding member)
- Fundación MAPFRE (Founding member)
- FUNDECOM
- International Consumer Research & Testing (ICRT) (Founding member)
- OMDAI
- ODECU (Founding member)
- PROTESTE (Founding member)
Subscribing Members
Board of Directors
- Fundación Gonzalo Rodríguez – BOD President
- Automóvil Club de Chile
- PROTESTE
- ICRT – alternate
Control Board
Major Sponsors
Our Tests
Latin NCAP provides safety ratings based on the assessment of adult occupant protection (passive/secondary safety), child occupant protection (passive/secondary safety) and primary/active safety offered by the car model. Latin NCAP awards the car model with star ratings fromzero and five stars for adult and child occupant protection.
Adult Occupant
The rating for adult occupant protection (passive/secondary safety) is determined by front and side impact tests. Five stars models are also assessed in a side pole impact test. Frontal impact is performed at 64kph (40 mph). Two adult dummies are placed representing average size men in the driver's seat and front passenger and two children, aged 18 months and 3 years old, on child restraint systems are placed in the rear seat.
For more information click here
Child Occupant
Latin NCAP encourages manufacturers to take responsibility for the protection of children and to provide appropriate devices for the fitting of Child Restraint Systems (CRS). There are many CRS users that place them incorrectly to the vehicle. The rating for child occupant protection is provided through the evaluation ofthe CRS dynamic behaviour in frontal and side impact tests, the capacity of the car that various CRS from representative markets of Latin America and the Caribbeancan be correctly installed without problems, and finally the ability of the car to safely installa CRS. For more information click here
Active/Primary Safety
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
ESC is the most significant advance in vehicle safety since the introduction of the seat belt and one of the most important crash avoidance systems currently available. The system is assessed by performing a series of so called “sine-with dwell” tests, based on an actual double lane change manoeuvre. These tests are carried out at 80 km/h with sudden steering wheel rotations up to 270 degrees. The sideways displacement, the stability and the vehicle’s ability to follow a straight path are evaluated. A robot that acts precisely on the vehicle is used for this procedure.
Seatbelt Reminders (SBR)
The seatbelt remains the single-most effective item of safety equipment in any car. They represent the core of the restraint system and manufacturers continue to develop new and increasingly better belts to provide better protection. All car passengers must always use seatbelts. Research shows that occupants are much more likely to wear their seatbelts in cars equipped with seatbelt reminders (SBR) than in those without. If the SBR does not approve the Latin NCAP requirements, points are not awarded to reach three, four or five stars. SBR is needed in at least two forward positions to reach four and five stars.
Anti-Lock Breaking System (ABS)
ABS is required to get three stars for adult occupant protection. By requiring ESC,it is considered the ABS fitment on the vehicle as the ABS is the technological basis for the ESC. The ABS system prevents the wheels from locking during braking. The system monitors the movement of each wheel during braking and when they block, the ABS releases the brake pressure to allow the wheel to roll again in a split second