Vehicle safety needs priority

When it comes to cars, investment in safety isn't necessarily expensive, says NZTA road safety director Harry Wilson.

Vehicle safety needs to be better prioritised by buyers, he says, after a car-to-car crash test in May revealed people are twice as likely to die in a crash if the car they're travelling in was built before 2000.

The test crash, conducted by independent vehicle safety advocate Australasian New Car Assessment Programme, lined up a 1998 Toyota Corolla against its 2015-built counterpart.

The 2015 model has a five-star ANCAP safety rating, while the 1998 Corolla was built before the current frontal impact rule was applied that sets minimum safety standards for cars sold in New Zealand. It's also not equipped with life-saving airbags.

The crash test, conducted during the fourth United Nations Global Road Safety week, showed the driver in the older vehicle would likely have been killed or very seriously injured.

The crash was at a closing speed of nearly 130km/h – each vehicle was pulled on a wire to a speed of 64km/h.

Harry says in today's market used car buyers can easily find much safer vehicles than the older example in this test for a price often well under $10,000.

'You don't have to buy brand new to be safe in a car. With the technology available today, even the more affordable technology available a decade ago, there's no way I'd consider putting friends or family in a car that didn't meet these basic standards.”

In NZ, many families have multiple cars in the driveway including a relatively cheap ‘starter' car for teenagers once they have their driver's licence, says Harry.

'Sometimes the thinking is to buy a car that is known to be reliable, not too powerful and often older. 'The result of this test clearly shows why a newer car should be considered.

'We've completed research in the past that shows a number of factors often come in ahead of any safety considerations during the selection process.

'Purpose and price will always be up there, but safety should be considered alongside them. Unfortunately, colour often takes priority. Safety isn't a luxury.”

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