Euro NCAP has ranked ten driver assistance systems to find out which is safest. Tesla’s Autopilot was sixth of the ten whereas Mercedes, BMW and Audi came out of the assessment with high ratings.
Tesla’s sixth place was determined by its limitations in maintaining a driver’s focus on the road. It did gain the highest marks for performance and ability to respond to emergencies. Euro NCAP also praised Tesla’s over-the-air updates that allow for improvements to be introduced rapidly. Tesla did not comment on the assessment.
“The best systems offer a balance between the amount of assistance they provide and the level of driver engagement – and should be supported by an effective safety backup,” said Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP Secretary General.
This assessment was the first to focus on driver assistance systems and it comes at a time when safety researchers have warned for systems that allow drivers to overestimate a system’s abilities. This risk is not helped by carmakers naming their systems Autopilot (Tesla), Co-Pilot (Ford) or ProPilot (Nissan).
The Volvo’s relatively low score has been attributed to the fact that this model has been on the market for some years, showing that rapid advancements in driving assistance technology require more frequent updates.
These are the full results:
Very good
- Mercedes-Benz GLE
- BMW 3-Series
- Audi Q8
Good
- Ford Kuga
Moderate
- Tesla Model 3
- Volkswagen Passat
- Nissan Juke
- Volvo V60
Entry
- Renault Clio
- Peugeot 2008
Source: Fleet Europe