If you’re about to buy a new car or have questions about the safety of your current car, the best source of information about the safety performance of vehicles is the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP). The Euro NCAP provides a realistic and independent assessment of the safety performance of some of the most popular cars sold in Europe by rating their performance in crash testing. Consumers then have the opportunity to compare the safety performance of similarly sized vehicles.

Currently, the Euro NCAP uses a 5-star system that rates vehicles on 4 safety criteria:

Adult protection
Child protection
Pedestrian protection
Safety assist devices