The UK insurance industry's automotive research centre, Thatcham Research, is celebrating its accreditation as a Euro NCAP testing laboratory, marking a significant milestone in its 43-year history.

Thatcham has become only the eighth European laboratory to be recognised for having the facilities, expertise and rigour, required to carry out the crash testing programmes, that lead to vehicle manufacturers being awarded the much valued safety star ratings.

For Euro NCAP assessments, Thatcham will conduct three specific crash tests on each vehicle model it handles, a 40% offset frontal crash at 64 km/h; a 50 km/h side crash into a moving barrier; and a 30 km/h crash into a static pole. In addition, it will undertake ESC testing, using robotic equipment and whiplash testing, using a Hyper sled that accelerates a test seat backwards to simulate a rear-end shunt. In its first full year as an accredited centre, Thatcham expects to test five vehicle models involving 15 separate crash tests.