The COVID-19 crisis has relegated many other concerns. Preventing traffic accidents was, until now, one of the main struggles of governments, private companies and road users. What’s more, it continues to be the leading cause of death among the youngest , worldwide.
Advances in technology, road maintenance and public awareness have served to drastically reduce the number of fatalities behind the wheel. However, the end goal should not deviate from the ideal outcome: zero deaths. Lexus wants to be part of that great milestone and, for that reason, has been investing in the research, development and deployment of new security systems for more than thirty years. A bet that has led him to achieve a historic full five-star Euro NCAP . All Lexus models tested have obtained the maximum score.
In total, eight models have been tested throughout the brand’s history: GS (2005), IS (2006), CT 200h (2011), IS (2013), NX (2014), RX (2015), ES (2018) and UX (2019) . All of them have obtained the 5 Euro NCAP stars, with special mention of the Lexus IS 300h that won the first position of its class: the Best in Class 2013 . This victory is not only positive for Toyota’s premium firm, but also for buyers and users of Spanish roads. A country that, during 2019, suffered 1,007 fatal accidents, in which 1,098 people died and another 4,395 required hospital admission. Data provided by the General Directorate of Traffic and that, despite sounding harsh, are the best since data is available, with a 6.7% decrease in accidents and 7.6% fewer deaths compared to the previous year.
Story of an obsession
Since its founding, Lexus has invested a large part of its capital in the research, development and implementation of new technologies related to automobile safety. For the firm, safety is a whole, not only at the level of the bodywork and passive safety systems, it also takes into account the rest of drivers and road users. In other words, it works from shock absorption to driver assistance systems, through research on the human body and its reactions to accidents. This last project is carried out through a computerized crash test system called THUMS – Total Human Model for Safety – or human safety model.
An example of Lexus toughness is the LS 400 introduced in 1989 . Before going on the market, a total of 100 prototypes suffered all kinds of impacts to study their resistance. Tests that were key to overcome any mischief that was devised in the Euro NCAP tests.
All five stars
This work has been rewarded by results achieved, one after another, in the European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP). On their website you will be able to see the results of all the models that they test and that they evaluate in so many percent. For example, in 2019, the car with the highest score in all areas was the BMW X4, followed by the Mercedes-Benz CLA and the Tesla Model X. In this global list, the 2019 Lexus UX came in 16th , behind the Toyota Corolla and the Rav4. It achieved a safety score of 96% for the adult occupant , 85% for the child occupant, 82% for vulnerable road users and 77% for driver assistants.
Getting the highest score is not impossible, but neither is it easy to do. To do this, Lexus works hard on each launch. Of course, it has a remarkable model on its list. The first Lexus to be tested was the 2005 GS, which achieved the highest rating for occupant protection but four stars for child passenger. The Lexus CT 200h achieved 94% in adult protection and was placed as the second best in its class in 2011. The Lexus IS, by contrast, rose as the best in its segment after adding the highest scores in adults, children, pedestrians and attendants.
The Lexus ES300h was listed as one of the safest sedans on the market, with an average score of 86.25% in 2018. This served to achieve the Best in Class of large family and hybrids and electric in that year of changes in the Euro NCAP tests. The NX was also the best car in the ‘alternative energy’ segment in 2014 .
