What is NCAP?

NCAP stands for New Car Assessment Programme – a government-run scheme designed to measure and improve the safety of new cars. Perhaps the most relevant one for UK buyers is Euro NCAP, the European agency that crash tests almost all new cars to give them ratings for occupant and pedestrian safety. The first NCAP programme was actually launched in the USA in 1979, and NCAP schemes have been a huge driving force behind the improvement in car safety, leading to the widespread use of airbags, crumple zones and driver assistance systems.