ACI has 1.1 million members and is the largest association representing the interest of Italian car drivers at the national and international levels. It plays an active role in promoting road safety issues such as the risks of drink driving, active and passive safety devices, and road safety education.

Enrico Gelpi, ACI's president, said: 'By joining Euro NCAP, ACI will further strengthen its role as an important advocate for safer cars on Italian roads.'

As a Euro NCAP member, ACI will sponsor the testing of at least one car model per year and contribute actively to the development of the programme.

Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP secretary general, said: 'Italians love their cars and everything about cars. ACI's membership will bring the Italian car buyers not only improvement in the availability of accurate and timely information about vehicle safety, but also more direct influence on future demands in terms of technology and fitment. We warmly welcome ACI and hope this new commitment will help further increase the safety culture in Italy.'