This is how safety has evolved at Skoda

Safety is a priority for the Czech brand, and it is not something new. At Skoda it has a long tradition. Specifically, the Skoda 100 L was the first documented vehicle to undergo crash tests 50 years ago at Praha-Ruzyně, in what was then Czechoslovakia. Today, Skoda has state-of-the-art crash test facilities at its Polygon test centre, based in Úhelnice, which was greatly expanded in 2020 and even won the Crash Laboratory of the Year 2020 award from the specialist magazine Automotive Testing Technology International.

The results of the Euro NCAP benchmark test and the Global NCAP crash safety test certify the impressive track record of the Czech car manufacturer; the 15 new Skoda models introduced since 2008 have all achieved the maximum five-star rating. In 2021, the current Fabia and Enyaq iV were named the safest vehicles in their respective classes.

Johannes Neft, Head of Technical Development on the brand’s Board of Management, has stated that “at Skoda we use all our technical development experience to constantly improve the active and passive safety of our vehicles. Even our most basic models feature several driver assistance systems that are normally only found in higher-category vehicles. At the same time, our state-of-the-art Polygon crash test laboratory in Úhelnice provides the ideal setting to thoroughly test the safety of our models. This allows us to incorporate our findings into vehicle development from a very early stage. Achieving the maximum five-star score in the NCAP benchmark test and the Global NCAP crash safety test across all 15 Skoda models tested since 2008 is an extraordinary achievement.”

A firm commitment to safety

The brand has now once again expanded its state-of-the-art crash test laboratory at the Polygon Test Centre in Úhelnice, near Mladá Boleslav, to ensure that testing takes place under the best possible conditions. However, crash tests have been carried out in what is now the Czech Republic for 50 years; after the first documented test in May 1972 with a Skoda 100 L, the crash tests were subsequently designed by experts.

All current models come with a complete range of safety equipment. All models currently available in EU markets include Lane Assist and Front Assist systems, with early protection for pedestrians and cyclists. Front Assist uses visual and audible alerts, together with a gentle braking intervention, to warn of an imminent collision, including with pedestrians or cyclists, and also brakes the vehicle automatically in an emergency. Lane Assist identifies road markings and lane boundaries to help keep the vehicle in its lane through active steering assistance. The electronic systems that ensure optimal traction (ASR, ESP, XDS) and shorter braking distances (ABS) are also fitted as standard on vehicles in Europe. Multi-collision braking can prevent secondary collisions in the event of an accident.