Platinum Renault - Safety, Euro NCAP

SAFETY

RENAULT AND SAFETY: 50 YEARS ON

Road safety is one of the cornerstones of Renault's corporate culture and draws on fifty years of research and development. It expresses the essence of a philosophy based on respect for life and on innovation as a source of human progress.

Renault has set the standard in automotive safety with an approach based on accident analysis and real road safety, which results in products that are adapted to actual driving conditions all over the world.

Renault's sole motivation is to produce genuinely safe cars that will actively reduce the risk of accidents and their potential consequences.

Yet however efficient safety equipment may become, nothing can replace individual behaviour.

Renault is strongly committed to several national and international education and information campaigns that aim to educate the general public on safety issues. For Renault, road safety is a strategic priority and a long-term commitment.

Renault's First Crash Test, 1955

TODAY: A GLOBAL APPROACH WITH FOUR MAIN FOCUSES

Renault has been actively involved for more than 50 years in the research and development of technologies aimed at improving the safety of our vehicles. Renault’s approach and expertise is based on lessons learnt from real-life accident situations. With maximum five-star Euro NCAP crash-test ratings for nine vehicles, the Renault range features a long list of models that deliver leading safety.

In addition to its exceptional engineering skills, Renault uses the extensive research carried out by the Accident Analysis, Biomechanics and Human Behaviour Laboratory (LAB) to develop effective safety solutions that address real life driving situations.

Renault’s road safety programme covers four main areas: prevention, correction, protection and education.

Renault is constantly developing new safety systems aimed at avoiding accidents and protecting vehicle occupants. The emphasis in development is thus placed on better prevention, better anticipation and better education, without diminishing the responsibility of the driver.

Each year, the Group invests nearly €100 million in safety research and development. Some 600 employees work directly on this topic, which involves all sectors of the business.

TOMORROW: A COMMITMENT TO THE FUTURE

Given the stakes associated with road safety issues across the world, Renault has an ongoing commitment to improve driving security.

On tomorrow’s cars, safety will be increasingly interactive, with on-board technologies improving detection of the vehicle’s surroundings to inform the driver and anticipate the activation of safety systems.

Renault also plans to extend the same approach it employs in Europe to new markets where improvements in road safety must take into account the results of local accident studies and the needs of customers.

INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY – PREVENT

Renault develops advanced technologies to prevent accidents. Prevention begins by helping the driver to anticipate risks. Renault also provides equipment that performs auxiliary tasks automatically and thus aids driver concentration, for example automatic headlamp and wiper activation. Xenon/bi-xenon headlamps and additional cornering lights improve visibility and thus increase reaction time.

Automatic headlamp and wiper activation

Situation: Renault provides systems that automatically manage certain tasks, thus enabling the driver to pay full attention to the road.

Xenon/bi-xenon headlamps

Situation: When driving at night, the driver‘s capacity for anticipation is directly determined by the range of the headlamps. Improved visibility increases the driver's ability to respond effectively to an incident.

Additional cornering lights

Situation: On winding roads, an obstacle on the inside of a bend will be difficult to see with conventional headlamps.

INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY – CORRECT

Renault's technologically advanced driver assistance systems are designed to compensate for driver errors and to provide critical, potentially life-saving intervention in extreme driving situations.

Available on many models, this equipment includes optimized braking with ABS and emergency brake assist (EBA); ESC (electronic stability control) with CSV understeer control; and the Four Control chassis with four-wheel steering which provides unparalleled steering precision.

Emergency Brake Assist (EBA)

Situation: Studies reveal that only 60% of drivers brake sufficiently hard for the ABS system to switch on in an emergency situation.

ESC with CSV

Situation: LAB studies show that 40% of road deaths occur in accidents that involve loss of control of the vehicle.

Four Control chassis with four-wheel steering

Situation: The Four Control chassis with four-wheel steering perfectly illustrates Renault's philosophy that driving enjoyment must always go hand in hand with safety.

INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY – PROTECT

Safety is built into the DNA of every Renault. The entire Renault range is designed to provide protection to those travelling in the vehicle. The vehicle’s structure protects occupants by absorbing much of the impact energy, while cabin-based retention systems soak up the rest of the energy.

Renault’s third-generation System for Restraint and Protection (SRP) is a safety innovation which is still unique on the market, and our range of passenger protection systems includes active anti-submarining airbags, high-performance rear impact absorbing seats and headrests, dual side impact sensors and advanced child safety systems.

System for Restraint and Protection

A complete protection system for each seat and each occupant
Active anti-submarining airbag
Collision protection which is equally effective for both 3-door and 5-door cars
Rear impact absorbing seats and headrests
Maximum protection against whiplash
Side impact protection

Situation: A world first in side-impact protection

CHILD SAFETY

Whichever age group your child belongs to, Renault offers you a tailor made solution.
Did You know?

60 000 children in Europe are injured each year in accidents, often because of the lack of a child seat or the use of an inappropriate child seat.

As far as child safety is concerned, nothing is too much for Renault.

Because children are more fragile and vulnerable than adults, and to better understand how to protect them in serious collisions, Renault participated in the European research programmes CHILD and CREST, based chiefly on the observations made from 669 real-life car accidents with children on-board. Thanks to this work, Renault has been able to develop its own testing method to endow child seats with the same level of safety as adult seating systems. For each new car, Renault ensures that seats can be correctly fitted and that they meet particularly rigorous protection requirements.

RENAULT FIVE STAR MODELS

Renault considers actively improving safety to be a priority and stands out as the only carmaker to have obtained the maximum five-star rating on 12 occasions. Renault Laguna II was the first ever vehicle to achieve a five-star rating in the Euro NCAP safety assessment tests in 2001 and in 2009, New Grand Scénic has become the 12th model of the Renault range to secure EuroNCAP's maximum five-star crash-test rating.