New NCAP crash tests target “annoying” ADAS, reward buttons

NCAP doubles down on real-world car safety in response to consumer criticism of “intrusive” ADAS

Vehicle safety body Euro NCAP is dramatically changing the way it tests cars, primarily to better evaluate the effectiveness of cars’ driver assistance systems and the usability of their cockpits.
NCAP says this is the biggest change it has made to its testing programme since 2009. The new procedure overhauls the way cars are tested and scored – under four new core pillars of safety: safe driving, crash avoidance, crash protection and post-crash safety.
Importantly, the organisation says, several of these changes have been made “in response to consumer feedback”, highlighting criticism over the “annoying warnings or intrusive interventions” of some advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). The changes will come into effect from 2026.
NCAP is also seeking to better evaluate the real-world utility of such systems, to ensure they function as required outside of the confines of the test tra