Adult Occupant Protection
- Score
- 85%
- Stars
What Do the Stars Mean?
Understanding Saudi NCAP's star ratings and what the scores mean for vehicle safety
Star Rating Levels
Ratings are determined by overall percentage scores across the assessment categories
Overall, excellent performance in crash protection and well-equipped with comprehensive and robust crash avoidance technology
Overall, good performance in crash protection; additional crash avoidance technology may be present
Average to good occupant protection but lacking crash avoidance technology
Nominal crash protection but lacking crash avoidance technology
Marginal crash protection and no crash avoidance features
Poor performance in crash tests
The Two Areas of Assessment
Star ratings are calculated from test and assessment results in the main areas of safety
Each area is scored as a percentage, and these percentages are combined using specific weightings to calculate the overall star rating. A vehicle must perform well across all areas to achieve a high rating.
Adult Occupant Protection
70%
This assesses the level of protection offered to adult occupants (driver and front passenger) in the event of a collision, plus the protection offered to rear seat passengers.
Tests Conducted:
- Frontal impact test (full width and offset)
- Side impact barrier test
- Side pole impact test
- Whiplash protection in rear impacts
What is measured: The rating considers the risk of injury to the head, neck, chest, pelvis, and legs. Results from crash test dummies equipped with sensors measure the forces experienced during impact.
Child Occupant Protection
30%
This assesses the protection offered by the vehicle to child occupants of different sizes using appropriate child restraint systems.
Tests Conducted:
- Installation assessment for child seats
- Dynamic crash tests with child dummies
- ISOFIX and i-Size compatibility evaluation
- Airbag deactivation functionality
What is measured: Tests evaluate protection for infants (18 months), toddlers (3 years), and older children (6 and 10 years) using appropriate restraint systems. Ease and security of child seat installation is also assessed.
How is the Overall Rating Calculated?
The overall star rating is not a simple average. Each of the areas is weighted differently to reflect their importance in real-world safety.
Example Calculation
Child Occupant Protection
- Score
- 78%
- Stars
| Assessment Area | Score | Stars |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Occupant Protection | 85% | |
| Child Occupant Protection | 78% |
Star thresholds (per area)
- 5 stars: 80% or higher
- 4 stars: 60% – 79%
- 3 stars: 40% – 59%
- 2 stars: 20% – 39%
- 1 star: 1% – 19%
Note: Adult Occupant Protection is weighted most heavily, as frontal and side crashes with other vehicles represent the most common serious crash scenarios.
Explore More Resources
Dive deeper into vehicle safety with our other comprehensive guides