Three of seven 12-tonne urban distribution trucks tested by Euro NCAP have failed to meet its CitySafe safety standard, raising concerns over the protection of pedestrians and cyclists in busy urban environments, writes Peter Brown.
The DAF XB, Isuzu F-Series and Iveco Eurocargo all fell short of the benchmark, while models from MAN, Mercedes-Benz, Renault Trucks and Volvo achieved CitySafe recognition.
The MAN TGL topped the results with five stars, scoring 89% for Safe Driving and 71% for Crash Avoidance. Its performance was underpinned by excellent direct vision and effective collision avoidance technology, including protection for cyclists during low-speed turning manoeuvres.
The Mercedes-Benz Atego, Renault Trucks D and Volvo FL each achieved four stars. The DAF XB received three stars, while the Isuzu and Iveco models were awarded two.
The Eurocargo recorded the lowest Crash Avoidance score at just 20%, receiving no points for pedestrian and cyclist frontal protection or cyclist turn protection. The Isuzu scored 29%, while the DAF achieved 36%.
Matthew Avery, strategic development at Euro NCAP, said the results highlighted the importance of improving truck safety as urban freight movements increased.
“These 12-tonne trucks are the workhorses of modern e-commerce and municipal supply chains, navigating high-density areas every day where driver visibility and active crash avoidance are matters of life and death,” he said.
“So, it is particularly concerning that of seven models tested, three failed to meet Euro NCAP’s CitySafe standard.”
Matthew Avery also identified a major safety gap across the sector, with none of the seven manufacturers offering Lane Keeping assistance on the vehicles tested.
He said: “Given that this type of vehicle frequently transitions between high-speed highways and suburban and inner-city environments, lane-departure incidents are an ever-present danger.
“Leaving out proven, life-saving lane assistance technology is an unacceptable blind spot that manufacturers must address.”
He praised MAN for setting a benchmark with the TGL, saying its five-star performance demonstrated that high levels of driver visibility and active collision avoidance could be successfully combined.
Euro NCAP said the findings would help fleet operators and transport authorities make more informed purchasing decisions, while encouraging manufacturers to improve safety across the urban distribution sector.
