Chongqing – China's heavy trucks are seeking to meet European safety standards in order to expand exports, as domestic industrial organizations invite European assessors to help improve the safety awareness of Chinese commercial vehicle manufacturers.

On April 29, an international seminar on active safety technology for commercial vehicles and heavy trucks took place in Chongqing, bringing together domestic and international experts to discuss the global commercial vehicle and heavy truck industry.

On April 29, an international seminar on active safety technology for commercial vehicles and heavy trucks took place in Chongqing. (Photo/CMVR)

Matthew Avery, Director of Strategic Development at Euro NCAP, highlighted the importance of heavy truck safety during an interview with Bridging News. "While much attention has been paid to the safety of personal cars during the automotive transformation, heavy trucks are often overlooked," he said.

He emphasized the significance of heavy trucks, noting that in Europe, trucks make up only 3% of vehicles on the road, yet they are involved in 15% of all fatal crashes.

According to the China Justice Big Data Institute, trucks account for approximately 10% of vehicles on the road in China, yet are responsible for over 30% of accidents involving three or more fatalities.

"Chinese truck manufacturers are becoming increasingly popular in Europe, and we want to ensure that when they enter the European market, they bring safe trucks," he stated.

"Our testing shows a significant safety gap between individual trucks," he said. "We want all truck manufacturers to achieve five-star ratings. We're helping them by promoting technologies that can prevent collisions on highways and with other vehicles, including cars and vans."

Euro NCAP, based in Leuven, Belgium, is a European voluntary program for assessing car safety performance. Matthew introduced their safety initiative that focuses on two key areas: active safety technologies designed to help reduce crashes by automatically avoiding them, and passive safety elements that make trucks safer in the event of a crash.

Matthew Avery, Director of Strategic Development at Euro NCAP, highlighted the importance of heavy truck safety during an interview with Bridging News. (Photo/Chen Zhan)

Min Zhaoyuan, CEO of China Merchants Testing Vehicle Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd. (CMVR), noted that in recent years, China's commercial vehicle exports have surged, with notable achievements in heavy truck exports. "The European market’s strict safety standards represent both a challenge and an opportunity for us," he said.