Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 29th July 2025 – The New Car Assessment Program for Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN NCAP) in collaboration with the Faculty of Transportation Engineering, Ho Chi Minh University of Technology (HCMUT), Vietnam organize the Vehicle Safety Course (VSC) 2025/008 and the ASEAN NCAP Collaborative Holistic Research (ANCHOR V) Meeting in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
ASEAN NCAP, a flagship vehicle safety program spearheaded by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) and part of the global New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) network, has been conducting the annual Vehicle Safety Course since 2018. It serves as a strategic platform for ASEAN NCAP, automotive manufacturers and suppliers, as well as academic institutions to strengthen networks and deliberate on future directions for cultivating a safer and more progressive automotive market in the ASEAN region. This year, ASEAN NCAP collaborates with HCMUT for the second time to co-organise the VSC in Ho Chi Minh City. Our first collaboration was in 2016, in which ASEAN NCAP and HCMUT co-organised the ASEAN Automobile Safety Forum (AASF).
The VSC 2025/008 held today marks the eighth edition of the course following the successful VSC 2024/007 in Bangkok, Thailand. The event’s primary objectives are to promote ASEAN NCAP’s activities and increase awareness of its initiatives in Vietnam, as well as to disseminate knowledge about occupant injury from vehicle crashes. Additionally, the course aims to share and explain the principles, functions, and benefits of current vehicle safety technologies available on the market, as well as the importance of ASEAN NCAP’s vehicle safety ratings to the Vietnamese community.
The course targets a diverse group of participants who would greatly benefit from enhanced understanding of vehicle safety, including media representatives, government officials involved in road and vehicle safety, non-governmental organisations, automotive sales professionals and others.
In conjunction with the VSC event, ASEAN NCAP is also organising the ANCHOR V progress meeting to be held at the same venue from 29th to 30th, 2025. Launched in 2024, ANCHOR V, the fifth series of ASEAN NCAP’s collaborative, holistic research, aims to establish scientific evidence on regional characteristics across ASEAN member countries. In ANCHOR V, ASEAN NCAP collaborates with researchers from the ASEAN countries, which includes a focus on motorcycle issues. Research themes under ANCHOR V include accident investigation, driver behaviour observation and customer acceptance studies, all contributing toward the development of the ASEAN NCAP Roadmap 2031–2035.
MIROS Director-General and ASEAN NCAP Chair, Associate Professor Ts. Dr. Siti Zaharah Ishak stated, “The Vehicle Safety Course and ANCHOR V meeting are not only platforms for technical exchange, but also strategic enablers that shape the future direction of vehicle safety across ASEAN. As we work toward the ASEAN NCAP Roadmap 2031–2035, our focus remains on evidence-based research, harmonised standards, and strong regional collaboration. MIROS, through ASEAN NCAP, is proud to drive this agenda forward by uniting key stakeholders, including OEMs, policymakers, academia, and advocacy groups. We deeply value our collaboration with HCMUT and view Vietnam as a crucial partner in expanding the reach and relevance of our safety initiatives. Together, we can drive meaningful progress toward a safer and more sustainable mobility landscape for the region.”
Full press release of VSC 2025/008 in Vietnam