Motorists in the region will soon get firsthand information about the safety of new vehicles with the establishment of the Southeast Asian New Car Assessment Program. Construction of a crash-test facility is now underway in Malaysia and the first test is expected to take place in the middle of 2012.

"With many vehicles supplied to the Australasian market from factories in Southeast Asia, this new program will have flow on effects across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond," Global NCAP said. Global NCAP is the umbrella organization that handles different new car assessment programs all over the world like the Euro NCAP for Europe and JNCAP for Japan.

The SEA NCAP was established when the Global NCAP and the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in December 2011 to establish a pilot project that will "elevate motor vehicle safety standards, encourage a market for safer vehicles and raise consumer awareness in the Southeast Asian region." Other signatories to the MOU are representatives of national automobile associations of Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines.

Another signatory to the MOU is the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), which has been designated to provide both technical and program support to SEA NCAP "to ensure that the program pursues protocols and procedures that will provide meaningful, accurate and reliable test results." ANCAP will also assist SEA NCAP in aligning with other NCAP's around the world.

New-car-assessment program established in Southeast Asia - News | TopGear.com.ph
Kasama dito ang Pilipinas.. Hello safer cars soon???