Mazda 3 Earns Highest Score In Safety Tests

22/05/2019 09:33 Share

The latest round of Euro NCAP safety test results has been released... with the Mazda 3 scoring the maximum of 5 stars.

The European New Car Assessment Programme is a series of tests designed to gauge the safety of the cars on our roads. It was launched back in 1996, and the website has some handy tools on there to help you assess the safety of a car... just enter the year, make and model of the vehicle in question, and you'll have access to photographs and video clips of crash tests, as well as safety scores, broken down into key areas. Only base models are tested (i.e. no vehicles fitted with additional Safety Packs, etc are included).

The 2019 Mazda 3 was put through its paces and came out with a 5-star safety rating. An overview of the scores is below, but you can see more information on the Euro NCAP website by clicking here.

Adult Occupant: 98%
Dummy readings showed good protection for all critical body regions of the passenger. Good protection was provided to the knees and femurs of both the driver and passenger. Mazda showed that a similar level of protection would be provided to occupants of different sizes and those sitting in different positions. In the full-width, rigid barrier test, maximum points were scored for the front driver and rear passenger occupants, with good protection of all critical parts of the body. Similarly, in the side barrier test and the more severe side pole impact, all parts of the body were well protected and the car scored full points.

Tests on the front seats and head restraints demonstrated good protection against whiplash injuries in the event of a rear-end collision. A geometric assessment of the rear seats also indicated good whiplash protection. The standard-fit autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system, known as 'Smart Brake Support', performed well in tests of its functionality at the low speeds, typical of city driving, at which many whiplash injuries occur. Collisions were avoided in all test scenarios.

Child Occupant: 87%
In the frontal offset test, good protection was provided to both the 6 and 10 year infants. Similarly, in the side barrier impact, all critical parts of the body were well protected for both dummies and the Mazda 3 scored maximum points for its performance for child protection in the dynamic tests.

The front passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward-facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. Clear information is provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag and the system was rewarded. All of the child restraint types for which the Mazda 3 is designed could be properly installed and accommodated.

Vulnerable Road Users: 81%
Pedestrians (especially children) and cyclists should be protected too. Safety sensors and potential injuries from impact are looked at in this segment.

Safety Assist: 73%
This section looks at the effectiveness of features such as Lane Keep Assist, Speed Limiters, Brake Support, Seatbelt Warmings, etc.