Insurance-backed testing firm launches independent ADAS programme as safety consortium revamps protocols
Thatcham Research has terminated its 22-year partnership with Euro NCAP. The insurance-backed testing organisation joined the European safety consortium in 2004. Independent ADAS testing begins immediately. Partnership ends.
The departure coincides with Euro NCAP’s most extensive protocol revision since 2009, when the organisation introduced its five-star rating system. Thatcham’s exit removes a founding research partner from the consortium that has tested more than 2,000 vehicle models across Europe, according to Euro NCAP’s annual assessment reports published through 2023. — European regulatory framework changes.
Partnership dissolution
Thatcham Research confirmed the partnership termination in January 2024. The Berkshire-based organisation had provided crash test data and safety analysis to Euro NCAP since the consortium’s early expansion phase, contributing to assessment protocols that became the European standard for vehicle safety ratings. Euro NCAP now operates with four remaining research partners across Germany, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands. The timing aligns with Euro NCAP’s 2024 protocol changes. New assessment criteria cover automated emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance and driver monitoring systems.
Independent testing programme
Thatcham’s new ADAS field test programme operates separately from Euro NCAP protocols. The organisation plans to assess driver assistance systems in real-world conditions rather than controlled laboratory environments. Field testing covers motorway scenarios. Urban junction behaviour. Car park manoeuvring systems. The programme targets insurance risk assessment rather than consumer ratings, reflecting Thatcham’s role as the research arm for UK motor insurers including Aviva, Direct Line and Admiral. — Euro NCAP tests.
Testing volume impact
Thatcham contributed to approximately 180 Euro NCAP assessments annually between 2020 and 2023. The organisation’s Berkshire facility conducted side-impact tests and whiplash assessments for vehicles sold across European markets. Testing capacity drops by roughly 15 per cent. Euro NCAP processed 1,247 vehicle assessments in 2023, according to the consortium’s year-end data published in December. Remaining facilities must absorb Thatcham’s previous workload or extend assessment timelines for manufacturers seeking safety ratings. — European automotive industry shifts.
Protocol divergence
Euro NCAP’s 2024 revisions emphasise standardised track testing for automated systems. Thatcham’s field programme prioritises varied road conditions and weather scenarios that affect UK insurance claims. The approaches differ substantially. Euro NCAP uses predetermined test scenarios at 50 kilometres per hour on dry surfaces, while Thatcham plans assessments in rain, fog and varying traffic densities across actual British road networks including the M25 orbital motorway and A-road junctions near Birmingham and Manchester.
Other European testing organisations have not announced similar departures from Euro NCAP since the protocol changes were finalised in October 2023. The consortium plans to recruit additional research partners -2024. Assessment delays remain possible through summer. The complete Thatcham Research organisation profile and testing history are catalogued in the Global Auto Index manufacturer database.
