Thatcham

A term used in motoring to refer to the Motor Industry Repair Research Centre, based in Thatcham, Berkshire. This independent, non-profit making centre provides the insurance industry with definitive guidelines on the safety and security of all new vehicles. These results are used to compile the New Car Security Ratings (NCSR) and the likelihood of injury by whiplash.

The centre also determines how much it costs a particular vehicle to repair, which is then used by the Association of British Insurers to decide on which insurance group to place new cars.

One of the best known activities at Thatcham is the testing and rating of new security devices. For instance, 'Thatcham Category 1' is the approval for a combined car alarm and immobiliser, 'Thatcham Category 2' is for a standalone immobiliser and 'Thatcham Category 3' is for additional physical security devices such as steering wheel locks.

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