On Dec. 8, 2015, NHTSA released a Request for Comment (RfC) outlining and requesting comments on its plan to upgrade NCAP for MY2019 and later vehicles. As envisioned, the new MY2019 NCAP will include:
- A new approach to determining the overall 5-star rating (2 new rating categories, one for crash avoidance tech and one for pedestrian protection). The crash avoidance rating was incentives the following technologies: FCW, LDW, blind spot detection, lower beam headlighting tech, semi-automatic headlamp beam switching, amber rear turn signal lamps. A new pedestrian protection rating will incentivize rear automatic braking and pedestrian automatic emergency braking while also evaluating a vehicle’s ability to reduce pedestrian impact outcomes (using head and leg impactors).
- A new frontal oblique crash test
- New dummies (THOR 50M for use in oblique test and full frontal tests and WorldSID-50M for use in side pole and side MDB tests)
- Static stability factor (SSF) risk curve update
Comments are due Feb. 16, 2016.
The official Federal Register version of the rule was published on Dec. 16, 2015. For a copy, click here.
Docket reference: NHTSA-2015-0119. NHTSA contacts: Jenny Dang, 202-366-1810, Clarke Harper, 202-366-1810