A news from Australia that caught our attention: from now on the crash test body ANCAP will also test how cars perform under water. From 2023, it will become a permanent part of the test protocol there. Still handy for a country like the Netherlands that is partly below sea level – you never know. So we went to see how that works in Europe and it turns out: the Euro NCAP also tests the safety of cars under water.
Except for James Bond’s Lotus, cars usually don’t move underwater. So it’s not about how the crumple zones of new cars perform, but how the systems continue to function if a car ends up in water. The criteria for this are included in the Euro NCAP ‘Rescue, Extrication & Safety Test And Assessment Protocol’. For example, the occupants should be able to open the doors even if the 12-volt battery is disconnected.
Also read: This is what happens to the Ferrari that was fished out of the IJ
Other Euro NCAP requirements with the underwater test
The manufacturer must also be able to prove to Euro NCAP that the electric side windows still work for a certain time when a vehicle is submerged. If the manufacturer cannot provide proof, standard tools must be present in the car to break the window open. This can be a hammer, but a window crank or an explosive would also suffice. An explosive sounds a bit rigorous, but an airbag is in a sense.
This is what an Audi RS 6 looks like that was submerged for a few days
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