All-New Ford Focus Keeps Crash Test Dummy Safe In Euro NCAP Results
Euro NCAP puts all high-volume new cars through a stringent crash test before they can be sold to the public. It measures how vehicles protect adults, children and pedestrians, and the effectiveness of safety systems.
Euro NCAP uses specially made crash test dummies to replicate how humans would be affected in a crash, but have you ever wondered what a crash test is like from the dummy’s perspective? Ford has released a video showing just what a crash test dummy goes through when it’s testing how safe your car is.
According to the video, the first test doesn’t actually involve a dummy at all. A computer simulates many possible crash scenarios, suggesting how the All-New Focus might perform in real tests and real-life situations. So far, it looks good for the Focus!
Next, the dummy’s hard work starts. It’s out of the office today, at Ford’s new, high-tech sled test facility. A powerful hydraulic propulsion system, able to meter out up to 250 tonnes of force, allows testers to recreate the effects of a collision at speed. This rig is the safest, and most easily controllable, way to replicate a crash, showing exactly how your car will perform if the worst should happen.
Around the sled test facility, high-speed cameras record the crash at up to 1,000 frames per second. This allows the engineers to see every minute detail of the crash and find ways to improve. After this stage, it’s time for the crash test dummy to get strapped in to a real car, instead of just a replica of the cabin.
It’d be daunting to face a brick wall knowing you’re about to hit it, but luckily the crash test dummy has done this all before. It’ll have no problem in the All-New Ford Focus, as it delivers a 40% increase in front crash load capability – in other words, the forces of a collision should be soaked up long before the windscreen. The body is made from high-strength steel, and it features many optimised restraint systems.
What we didn’t realise is that crash test dummies have around 70 sensors, which relay precise information back to the test team.
The All-New Focus gains a maximum five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, and is available with a whole suite of impressive safety-focused technology – including automatic emergency braking, Co-Pilot360 semi-autonomous driving and a blind spot warning system.
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