AEBs to deal with rempit motorcycles, tougher side-impact tests - ASEAN NCAP presents 2026-2030 test protocol

The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS), the agency under the Ministry of Transport has announced its fourth and latest ASEAN NCAP test protocol for 2026 – 2030.

ASEAN NCAP is established with the support of the United Nation’s Global NCAP to carryout Southeast Asia-specific assessments on vehicle safety (ASEAN NCAP).

Summary of changes for 2026 – 2030 ASEAN NCAP test protocol:

• Side-impact with movable barrier: Increased trolley weight from 950 to 1,300 kg
• Child test dummy: Switching from Q1.5 / Q3 to Q6 / Q10
• Child seat assesment done with Southeast Asian-size Manikin 6YO and Manikin 10YO (Q6 and Q10 may also be used)
• Child seat: Selection expanded to include latest UN R129 standard seats
• AEB Inter-Urban: CCRm (Car-to-Car moving) scenario expanded to include Car-to-Car Rear braking (CCRb)
• Motorcycle-detecting AEB: Four Car-to-Motorcycle test scenarios, including junction turning

As with all previous test protocols, results of tests done from 2026 onwards cannot be compared against results of earlier tests. A 5-star car from 2017 is not necessarily safer than a 4-star car from 2026. Comparisons can only be made for results tested under the same protocol.

The most obvious change in the new 2026 – 2030 test protocol is replacing the movable side-impact test’s Moving Deformable Barrier (MDB) trolley. Previously, the trolley weighed 950 kg. The increase in prevalence of SUVs means the average weight of cars on today’s roads is a lot higher so it is no longer realistic to use a 950 kg MDB.

The new MDB now weighs 1,300 kg, which is more or less what a Proton X50 / Honda HR-V weighs. The striking speed of the trolley remains unchanged at 50 km/h, at zero degrees angle.

The increased mass of the trolley striking the side of the will force the vehicle’s side-impact protection structure and features to work a lot harder to dissipate the energy around the occupants.

The new MDB is still lighter (and slower) than the 1,400 kg (60 km/h) used by Euro NCAP and 1,900 kg (60 km/h) used by the United States’ IIHS, but there needs to be a balance in requirements to match our region’s income levels and average price of cars sold here. This is an economic reality.

The child test dummies are also upgraded, the latest generation of Q-series Q10 (rear right seat) and Q6 (rear left seat) child test dummies will be used. Currently, only Q1.5 (rear right) and Q3 (rear left) child test dummies are used.

Where possible, child seat fitment assesment will be done with smaller Southeast Asian-size Manikin child test dummies, reflecting the differences in sizes of our children versus European kids.

Child seats will be tested using Manikin 6YO and Manikin 10Y0 child test dummies. If these are not available,

The switch from Q1.5 / Q3 test dummies to Q10 / Q6 ones is in line with Euro NCAP’s practice.

The selection of child seats tested will also be expanded to include existing United Nations R44 seats as well the newer R129 standard child seats.

For assessment of Advanced Driving Aids (ADAS), referred by ASEAN NCAP’s scoring methodology as Safety Assist (SA) technologies, the evaluation of autonomous emergency braking (AEB) will soon be expanded to include a wider range of scenarios, including motorcycle avoidance.

The existing Car-to-Car Rear (CCR) braking tests for AEB Inter-Urban (approaching a moving car ahead) will be expanded to include a scenario where the car ahead if rapidly slowing down (CCRb, for CCR braking).

The existing CCRm (car ahead moving at constant speed) will remain unchanged. Both CCRb and CCRm will be conducted with the test vehicle approaching at speeds of up to 60 km/h.

The most challenging AEB test is the one for motorcycle detection, this is not done even by Euro NCAP. This driving situation is unique for Southeast Asia so it will be interesting to see how the different vehicle makes perform.

If you are wondering why is ASEAN NCAP penalizing cars when suicidal motorcyclists are the ones who split lanes at high speeds and jump red lights, the simple answer is that enforcement of road traffic regulations is the purview of the police. As part of the United Nations' Global NCAP organization, ASEAN NCAP's role is to reduce incidents involving the most vulnerable road users group in our region - motorcyclists. 

Over in Europe, the same argument can be used against pedestrians, who are often too engrossed on their smartphones and sometimes step off side walks and going into the path of cars, or crossing roads without looking, but Euro NCAP force cars to have pedestrian injury-lessening features.

This test is extremely tough because it evaluates four very common scenarios car drivers face with mat rempits / suicidal delivery riders: 

• Car approaching a slow moving motorcycle ahead
• Motorcycle from opposite direction suddenly turning into junction in front of the car
• Motorcycle jumping suddenly crossing a cross a junction (i.e. jumping red light) in front of car 
• Car veering off lane and into the path of a motorcycle approaching from the opposite direction

In Malaysia, most AEBs can only detect larger vehicles like cars, and only on a straight road.

However, we know that many Honda models except the outgoing generation CR-V already come with (for Sensing-equipped variants) with wide-angle CMBS cameras that can detect vehicles in a corner, or when turning into junctions, including detecting large motorcycles. Since the detection reliability for smaller kapchais that are common here is still low, Honda's marketing materials don't explicitly mention motorcycles.

However since Honda sells motorcycles and cars, it has a direct interest in reducing car-motorcycle collisions, more so than any other car maker.

Honda has said that all future Honda Sensing-equipped models will have motorcycle detection, and by 2030, all Honda cars sold worldwide will be equipped with Sensing.

In Malaysia, the Honda Sensing is already available for all variants of the Honda City.

Also read: 86% of Honda cars sold globally now have Sensing, 100% by 2030, with motorcycle detection, including Malaysia

The final scoring weightage for 2026 - 2030 remain unchanged - 40:20:20:20 for adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, safety assist, and motorcycle assist respectively.

Started in 2012 with initial funding from the FIA, via the United Nations’ World Health Organization’s (WHO) Decade of Action program, ASEAN NCAP has come a long way in encouraging manufacturers to improve the safety features of their vehicles, especially those sold in the budget segment.

Remember how quickly the Proton Saga FLX was pulled out of the market after ASEAN NCAP gave it a 1-star rating in 2012? In a 64 km/h frontal collision test, the Saga FLX’s protection for the front passenger’s head and driver’s chest were rated ‘Poor’ and ‘Weak’ respectively. Within one month, Proton replaced the model with an upgraded body structure Proton Saga FLX+, it scored 3 stars in 2013.

Perodua also hastened the discontinuation of the Perodua Viva, which if tested, would’ve received zero star. In response, Perodua fast tracked the introduction of a new generation Perodua Axia (4 stars, 2014), with much better safety features.

Today, even a basic Perodua Axia scores a decent 4 stars, under the current 2021 – 2025 test protocol, which also evaluates advance driving aids like autonomous emergency braking and motorcycle blind spot detection.

ASEAN NCAP was established because the United Nations know that NCAP results from other countries, like Euro NCAP or NHTSA or JNCAP are often not applicable here due to differences in models and even if the model is the same, there could be differences in body structure.

Manufacturers often make modifications to a vehicle’s structure for sales in different markets, sometimes due to cost, other times due to different local regulations. The United States for example, have different regulations for bumpers and airbags.

Driving conditions are also different. Euro NCAP for example, places higher emphasis on pedestrian protection but in Southeast Asia, cars collide more with motorcycles than pedestrians, which explains the AEB for motorcycles test that ASEAN NCAP will be introducing.

Since nearly all new cars sold in Southeast Asia now do rather well in frontal and side impact collision tests, MIROS considers its most basic task of getting manufacturers to introduce minimum active (collision avoidance) and passive (injuries lessening) safety features on all cars sold in this region to be almost complete.

Moving forward, the MIROS intends to move into the consumer rights advocacy space – better safety recalls, pushing for ‘Lemon Law’ protecting consumers against defective cars, and in the used car space – red-flagging cars with tampered mileage and improper accident repairs.

The recent uptick in cases of overloaded lorries crashing into stationary cars also calls into question what have existing government agencies have done against errant lorry operators, and MIROS have been providing post-crash analysis of many of such cases to the Ministry of Transport.

What the Ministry does with the analysis data is a different matter. A lot of the above will require cooperation from other government agencies, as MIROS does not have enforcement powers, so it’s a rather long shot, but rather than sit around and wait for government officers to respond, MIROS wants to engage more in educating the public of their rights and how road safety is a shared responsibility.