A vital factor
MOST PEOPLE depend on cars as an efficient mean of transportation nowadays. Apart from convenience, a vehicle’s safety is hastily making its way to becoming a vital factor when picking a car. Filipinos value family and what’s a better way to show their love through keeping them safe?
Recently, a joint effort between the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) and the Global New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) for Southeast Asia brought about the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) NCAP. The newly launched organization is comprised of experts that aim to raise vehicle safety standards specifically with the ASEAN region.
Established in 2011, also as a response to the United Nations’ Decade of Action for Road Safety, the ASEAN NCAP released a list of the safest vehicles available in the local market.
ASEAN NCAP is supported by the membership of Automobile Associations from Malaysia (AAM), the Philippines (AAP), Singapore (AA Singapore) and Thailand (RAAT). Its Steering Committee is presently chaired by the Director-General of MIROS/ASEAN NCAP Chairman, Prof. Dr. Wong Shaw Voon, while the Technical Committee is headed by ASEAN NCAP Secretary-General Khairil Anwar Abu Kassim.
In January 2013, the ASEAN NCAP published the program’s first phase finding that involves seven popular models within the member countries of the ASEAN region.
According to Car Guide Philippines, the ASEAN NCAP has two rating schemes based on Adult Occupant Protection (AOP), which is given by a star-rating, and a Child Occupant Protection (COP), which is given in a percentage-based rating.
“Take note: for a vehicle to be awarded a full 5-star rating, it must be equipped with Electronic Stability Control or ESC. Otherwise, the rating is dropped to just a maximum of 4 stars. Also, ASEAN NCAP notes that larger vehicles and smaller vehicles cannot be compared apples-to-apples. The test simulates crashing a vehicle against something similar to its own mass (+/- 150 kilograms),” it explained.
Although the ASEAN NCAP hasn’t tested all models available in the regional market yet, below are a couple of variants sold in the Philippines. —