AOP will maintain two crash assessments, namely the frontal and side impact tests. There shall be no changes as regards the use of the dummy. However, ASEAN NCAP has amended the score for side impact; in the sense that it will be reduced by 50 percent whereas additional points will be rewarded for HPT. Such a change will encourage fitment of more curtain airbags in the ASEAN region. Beginning in 2023, ASEAN NCAP will also include UN R135 as a prerequisite for HPT.

ASEAN NCAP shall introduce more local CRS in its vehicle based assessment compared with the previous rating system. This is to ensure that new cars sold in the region will follow the Southeast Asia CRS criteria. Another highlight of COP is the introduction of Child Presence Detection technology for a child left unattended in the car. Therefore, ASEAN NCAP shall be among the first NCAPs to encourage the use of such a technology aside from Euro NCAP which has already included it in their testing protocol.

In the new roadmap, ASEAN NCAP shall also focus on Auto Emergency Braking (AEB) Technology; which is a feature to alert drivers to an imminent crash and help them use the maximum braking capacity of the car. ASEAN NCAP believes that AEB is an important technology, which has been well-received by most car manufacturers. In North America, 22 automakers have agreed to voluntarily fit their cars with standard AEB starting in 2022. ASEAN NCAP shall, in addition, place greater attention on AEB City and Inter Urban. As for AEB Pedestrian, ASEAN NCAP plans to delay its introduction until sufficient data is available from various studies. Based on initial results, it is believed that AEB Pedestrian might not be able to reduce the number of pedestrian fatalities especially in lower-income countries such as Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. Nevertheless, points will not be deducted if car manufacturers are to install this technology in their cars.

Also in Safety Assist, ASEAN NCAP shall pay close attention to the rear occupant detection. Hence in the new roadmap, a total of 50 percent shall be rewarded for Seatbelt Reminder (SBR) Rear Occupant Detection. Such a decision also provides evidence that ASEAN NCAP will be focusing on the use of seatbelts as the primary protection for car occupants.

Finally, ASEAN NCAP shall be rewarding another 3 points under Safety Assist for Advance SAT with OEMs being able to select any technology that is suitable to reduce road casualties. In this area, car manufacturers are encouraged to introduce a technology that will benefit road users and help prevent a road crash.

ASEAN NCAP remains totally committed to ensure the safety of motorcyclists in Southeast Asia. It is a known fact that motorcyclists make up the biggest group and represent 80 percent of the total number of road users in ASEAN countries. Unfortunately, the region has also witnessed a tremendous increment in terms of motorcyclist fatalities, hence the issue of powered two-wheelers safety must not be overlooked. Thailand has already taken the lead in championing this cause and at the same time, ASEAN NCAP will follow suit by putting motorcyclist safety at the forefront of its road safety agenda.