New safety testing for trucks: What South African operators need to know

Safety revolution for trucks

The Euro NCAP testing organisation has, for the first time, assessed the safety performance of long-haul trucks under its Truck Safe programme, with Volvo’s FH Aero and FM models earning top honours with a five-star rating.

Euro NCAP stands for the European New Car Assessment Programme. It is an organisation that has traditionally provided consumers with information about the safety performance of cars after crash testing the vehicles.

Now, trucks are on its radar. This development offers South African fleet operators a blueprint to enhance safety on the country’s roads while also reaping the benefits of improved efficiency and public trust.

Turning point in safety

The Truck Safe programme marks a turning point in vehicle safety testing in that it focuses exclusively on heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs), which play a critical role in moving goods but also pose significant risks due to their size and weight. While South African statistics differ from Europe’s, the underlying issues resonate: HCV crashes can be catastrophic, disproportionately affecting other road users, including vulnerable pedestrians and cyclists.

European data reveals that trucks account for less than 3% of vehicles but are linked to 15% of road fatalities, with 89% of casualties being non-truck occupants. South Africa’s operators face similar challenges, emphasising the urgent need for enhanced truck safety standards.

The Truck Safe testing protocols

Under the Truck Safe framework, nine leading European HCV models underwent rigorous testing across three critical stages of an accident lifecycle:

Safe Driving: Assessing driver engagement, occupant monitoring, vision, and vehicle assistance technologies.

Crash Avoidance: Evaluating Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) to prevent frontal collisions, lane change incidents, and low-speed manoeuvring crashes.

Post-Crash: Measuring the effectiveness of rescue information and ease of driver extrication during the “golden hour”.

Each truck was awarded a percentage score in these categories, resulting in an overall star rating.

The results

Of the nine trucks evaluated, two achieved a five-star rating, two were awarded four stars, four earned three stars and one scored a single star. Four trucks were also awarded the CitySafe accreditation (which highlights a truck's enhanced capabilities to operate safely in city traffic conditions).

Truck: DAF XF 
Truck Safe Rating: ★★★☆☆
CitySafe: Yes
Safe Driving – 85%
Collision Avoidance – 35%
Rescue – 80%

Euro NCAP comment: “The DAF XF achieves a Safe Driving performance that is class leading for a flat floor long-haul cab. Its vision performance is class-leading with very deep windows, low belt lines, a lower door window and CMS replacing all mirrors. It is equipped with an AEB system that works moderately well for front-to-rear collisions with vehicles and frontal collisions with pedestrians and cyclists. Its impressive performance in urban crash types earns our CitySafe award and a solid 3 stars overall. It is therefore a good choice for the long-haul sector where operation may require entry into cities.”

Truck: Iveco S-Way
Truck Safe Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
CitySafe: No
Safe Driving – 32%
Collision Avoidance – 19%
Rescue – 80%

Euro NCAP comment: “Iveco declined the opportunity to provide a vehicle for testing. Therefore, Euro NCAP tested and rated the most recent, well-specified vehicle available. The manufacturer informs us that it is not representative of the safety performance of their latest generation vehicle that complies with GSR2 regulations but first deliveries of those were not expected until later in 2024. As tested, the Iveco S-Way offers marginal direct vision and few of the ADAS features that Euro NCAP considers in its rating, resulting in its 1-star rating.”

Truck: MAN TGX
Truck Safe Rating: ★★★☆☆
CitySafe: No
Safe Driving – 56%
Collision Avoidance – 60%
Rescue – 80%

Euro NCAP comment: “MAN declined the opportunity to provide a vehicle for testing. Despite this, Euro NCAP was able to source, test and rate the latest GSR2-compliant model, equipped with all the relevant safety options. The TGX offers a solid 3-star safety performance, well balanced between Safe Driving and Collision Avoidance. Its direct vision performance is poor, scoring zero in our rating. However, it is optionally available with an excellent camera monitoring system, which provides enhanced driver vision. It provides a very good range of crash avoidance technologies with a high-performing lane support system.”

Truck: Mercedes-Benz Actros L
Truck Safe Rating: ★★★☆☆
CitySafe: No
Safe Driving – 72%
Collision Avoidance – 51%
Rescue – 80%

Euro NCAP comment: “Daimler Trucks declined the opportunity to provide a vehicle for testing. Therefore, Euro NCAP tested and rated the most recent, well-specified vehicle obtainable – a vehicle first registered in July 2024. The manufacturer informs us that it is not representative of the safety performance of their latest generation, which only became available later in 2024. As tested, the Actros L offers a solid 3-star safety performance. It is the tallest truck tested in this sector but with CMS available, it still manages a good Safe Driving score. It provides a very good range of crash avoidance technologies but the performance of some of the functions was limited.”

Truck: Renault Trucks T
Truck Safe Rating: ★★★★☆
CitySafe: No
Safe Driving – 72%
Collision Avoidance – 70%
Rescue – 80%

Euro NCAP comment: “The Renault Trucks T earns a strong 4-star rating due largely to its high-quality Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS), getting balanced points across both Safe Driving and Collision Avoidance, most of which is standard fitment. It is more limited in its direct vision performance, although its recent addition of a CMS system has improved its overall Safe Driving score. The Renault would also benefit from a cyclist turn across path function. Combined with the more limited direct vision, this makes it more suitable for the highway, rather than the city.”

Truck: Scania R-series
Truck Safe Rating: ★★★☆☆
CitySafe: No
Safe Driving – 64%
Collision Avoidance – 62%
Rescue – 80%

Euro NCAP comment: “The Scania R-series is available with nearly all of the driver assistance systems Euro NCAP considers and they generally perform well. But many of those systems are additional cost options. The vision fundamentals are good, but the end result is limited by obstructions from conventional mirrors and a CMS system is not available. Its ADAS performance is good in most areas, however it lacks some of the functionality to protect vulnerable road users. Overall, it’s a good option particularly for highway operations, provided the appropriate options are selected.”

Truck: Scania G-series
Truck Safe Rating: ★★★★☆
CitySafe: Yes
Safe Driving – 71%
Collision Avoidance – 62%
Rescue – 80%

Euro NCAP comment: “The Scania G-series was tested as a partner version of the R. The G-series benefits from a lower cab, improving vision. The vehicle is a solid performer with a balanced approach across Safe Driving and Collision Avoidance. It is available with nearly all of the driver assistance systems Euro NCAP considers and they generally perform well, but many of those systems are additional cost options. The vision fundamentals are good and benefit from the lower cab mounting height. The end result is still limited by the lack of a camera monitor system. Its Collision Avoidance performance is good in most areas, and AEB VRU combined with good vision earns it our CitySafe accreditation. Overall, it’s a safe choice in a mix of environments, provided the appropriate options are selected.”

Truck: Volvo FH Aero
Truck Safe Rating: ★★★★★
CitySafe: Yes
Safe Driving – 80%
Collision Avoidance – 89%
Rescue – 80%

Euro NCAP comment: “The Volvo FH is an excellent safe choice for a vehicle in the fleet sector. The direct vision is good, helped by the availability of CMS and its aero-inclined front. Combined with very good assistance systems, this produces a very good Safe Driving score. It achieves a very good score in Collision Avoidance, with every system Euro NCAP assess being available, including automated braking to protect cyclists where trucks turn across their path. As a highway truck, its good direct vision combined with very good AEB for vulnerable road users also earns the Volvo FH our CitySafe accreditation alongside its 5 stars, making it an excellent choice for operations that require occasional city deliveries.”

Truck: Volvo FM
Truck Safe Rating: ★★★★★
CitySafe: Yes
Safe Driving – 87%
Collision Avoidance – 89%
Rescue – 80%

Euro NCAP comment: “The Volvo FM was tested as a partner to the FH aero but offers a lower cab to improve vision. It is an excellent safe choice for a vehicle in the fleet sector. The direct vision is very good, helped by the availability of CMS. Combined with very good assistance systems, this produces a very good Safe Driving score. It achieves a very good score in Collision Avoidance, with every system Euro NCAP assess being available including automated braking to protect cyclists where trucks turn across their path. As an all-rounder its very good direct vision, combined with very good AEB for vulnerable road users, earns the Volvo FM a 5-star rating and also achieves our CitySafe accreditation, making it an excellent choice for combined city and highway operations.”