Transit Vans Take Gold and Silver Awards for Smart Safety Features

For van drivers spending hours on the road, and businesses protecting their staff and other road users, safety is a top priority. 

Recently, new technology has enabled us to add intelligent safety features to our Transit models that can help to prevent or mitigate the seriousness of accidents. They work proactively to keep the driver, vehicle and load safe, and so are known as “active safety” technologies. 

Independent vehicle safety authority Euro NCAP recently carried out its first-ever test of active safety features on the top 19 best-selling vans in Europe; Transit gained a gold award and Transit Custom received a silver award, making two of the top four highest-rated vans Fords. 

Our autonomous emergency braking (AEB) technology excelled in Euro NCAP’s tests. It works by using sensors and cameras to scan the road ahead for potential hazards such as other vehicles or pedestrians, and can slow the van automatically if the driver does not respond to warnings. In fact, Euro NCAP specifically praised our Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection technology as a clear class-leading feature. 

Euro NCAP also gave Transit’s Traffic Sign Recognition technology the only perfect 100 per cent score of any feature on all vehicles tested. This intelligent feature uses front-facing cameras to recognise speed limit signs and display an in-cab reminder to the driver. If Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control is turned on, Transit will automatically change its speed to the new posted limit, supporting safe and legal driving. 

Dr. Michiel van Ratingen, Secretary General, Euro NCAP.

“Ford is one of the European brand leaders for commercial vehicles, and the excellent performance achieved by both the Transit and Transit Custom products gives us real confidence in Ford’s commitment to fitting the Transit family with the latest assistance technologies to help protect everybody on Europe’s roads.”

Transit and Transit Custom are offered with a full suite of available active safety and driver assistance systems. As well as protecting van drivers, their cargo, and other road users, active safety systems could also help businesses increase uptime and lower insurance and repair costs by helping to prevent avoidable collisions.

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