Stricter safety protocols to reward tactile controls and real-world driver alertness.
24 Oct 2025 | 3866 Views | By Akbar Merchant
Vehicle safety testing body Euro NCAP has announced its new set of rules for 2026. In almost all major car markets globally including Europe, safety ratings influence car buying decisions more than ever before where nearly 90 percent of customers check a vehicle’s Euro NCAP score before signing on the ...
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Vehicle safety testing body Euro NCAP has announced its new set of rules for 2026. In almost all major car markets globally including Europe, safety ratings influence car buying decisions more than ever before where nearly 90 percent of customers check a vehicle’s Euro NCAP score before signing on the dotted line. For manufacturers, a five-star rating is often non-negotiable. But earning it is about to get a lot harder, thanks to the updated Euro NCAP 2026 rules.
Essentially an update to its current rule book, the 2026 edition is considered to be the most comprehensive refresh yet to the way new cars are assessed for safety, and the changes are likely to reshape how interiors are designed.
Euro NCAP wants drivers to keep their eyes on the road
The 2026 protocols will go beyond crash protection to focus heavily on how safely drivers interact with their vehicles. Euro NCAP says the aim is to ensure that drivers keep their eyes on the road rather than on touchscreens — a growing concern as modern cars move towards minimal physical controls.
Under the new rules, vehicles will lose points if essential functions are buried in digital menus. To secure a top score, manufacturers must provide physical, tactile buttons for core operations like the horn, indicators, hazard lights, wipers and emergency SOS. These controls must be clearly visible and usable without looking away from the road. The reasoning is simple — it’s quicker and safer to press a button than to poke through layers of touchscreen menus.
Touchscreens can divert attention, says Euro NCAP
Euro NCAP’s stance stems from research showing that taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds can cause a crash. Touchscreen operations, by contrast, can divert attention for anywhere between five and forty seconds per task — enough to cover several hundred metres at highway speeds.
The organisation argues that the proliferation of touch-based controls has created unnecessary cognitive load. It’s not unusual for drivers to have to navigate sub-menus even for basic functions such as adjusting the climate control or switching drive modes. The 2026 update aims to reverse that trend and bring usability back to the forefront.
More weightage for Driver monitoring systems
Beyond buttons, the new test regime will also place greater emphasis on active
safety. Driver-monitoring systems, previously worth just two points, will now carry up to 25 points in the overall score. The technology will be expected to track eye and head movement, detect signs of drowsiness or intoxication, and prompt corrective alerts before an incident occurs.
Euro NCAP will also award new points for child-safety detection features — up to five points for systems that can warn if a rear seatbelt is unfastened or a child seat isn’t properly secured. Meanwhile, adaptive airbags will be evaluated on their ability to adjust inflation based on the occupant’s size, posture and seating position.
Human-Centric safety returns
In effect, Euro NCAP is signaling a return to human-centred design — one where safety isn’t just about sensors and silicon, but also about instinct and immediacy. While digital interfaces are here to stay, carmakers will have to rethink how they balance sleekness with practicality.