Euro NCAP slams BYD Atto 3 for failing safety test
The Euro NCAP organization, which assesses the safety of new vehicles, evaluated the driver assistance systems in several recent market entries. One of these models performed exceptionally poorly.
We're referring to the Chinese SUV BYD Atto 3, which received zero stars in the tests' history. The poor result was attributed to the performance of the adaptive cruise control, known by the Chinese brand as Intelligent Cruise Control.
Tests indicated that, contrary to its name, the system does not operate intelligently and may pose a safety risk. According to Euro NCAP, the main reason for the exceptionally poor score is the system's inability to take control of the vehicle if the driver becomes inactive. You can find the details here.
In an emergency, such as when the driver is incapacitated, the system stops keeping the vehicle on track but does not deactivate the cruise control. It is easy to imagine the potential consequences of such an error. Other features available in the model were also rated poorly, including systems such as road sign recognition and collision avoidance.
Fortunately for BYD, the level of passive safety is considerably higher. In crash tests conducted in 2022, the car earned five stars. To be truly successful, it needs well-functioning electronics. Let's hope that the Chinese manufacturers will quickly improve this.
