Euro NCAP

A safety crash test organisation, originally set up in 1997 to assess how well cars could protect their front-seat occupants in the event of a 40mph front-offset crash with a deformable barrier. The maximum score achievable is five stars. When Euro NCAP first started, the average overall occupant protection rating was just two stars. Now the average score is better than four stars and more than 40 cars have achieved a five star rating, including the BMW 3 Series, Renault Laguna and Clio Vauxhall Astra and Ford Focus

The Euro NCAP tests have now expanded to include child tests, pole impact tests, whiplash tests and side impact tests.