Each and every car comes with some safety features. Whilst some are compulsory (you won’t be able to get a warrant of fitness without them), there are some extra safety features that you can choose when you buy a car. Purchasing a car with better safety features can reduce your risk of being in a crash and improve your chance of surviving, should you be in one.
This week on the blog, we are covering top tips to make sure your car is the safest you can get your hands on and what safety features are important to consider when purchasing your car.
In New Zealand, most cars will be given a safety rating from 1 to 5 stars that show how well the vehicle will protect its occupants in a serious crash. Choosing a vehicle with a higher star, means that you will be less likely to be killed or seriously hurt in a crash; therefore a safety rating is something that every person seriously considers when they are choosing a car to purchase.
Making The Right Choice
When it comes to purchasing a car, whether it is new or used, these are the things you should take into consideration:
Structural integrity – the structure of the vehicle absorbs and dissipates the crash energy. Safe vehicles are able to maintain their shape in the event of a crash and elements inside the vehicle should not move excessively and injure passengers. Doors should remain closed during a crash, while being able to be opened post-crash.
Electronic stability control – This has various names which may vary depending on the manufacturer. It may be referred to as electronic stability programme, active stability or vehicle stability, but they all operate in the same way. Electronic stability control helps drivers control the vehicle in the event of sudden swerving to avoid collisions.
Anti-lock braking systems – This prevents the wheels of a vehicle locking as brake pedal pressure is applied, usually in an emergency of within a short stopping distance. This gives the driver better control and helps prevent skidding and loss of traction.
Airbags – Airbags significantly reduce the chance of death or serious injury in a crash. For maximum safety drivers should look for front, side, curtain and knee airbags.
Seatbelts – All passengers within a vehicle should be wearing retractable 3-point sash style seat belts with pre-tensioners. This helps deal with the impacts of forces in a crash.
New Cars
New imports should have at least a 4-star safety rating, based on a series of crash tests that they are put through. These tests are used to correctly assess car safety in the event of a crash. The system awards overall safety ratings based on what would happen to passengers and pedestrians involved in serious front or side impacts.
In addition to the crash tests, vehicles will achieve a higher rating if they also have safety features such as anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control, multiple air bags and three-point safety features for each passenger. In New Zealand the assessment we use is the Australasian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP). Other new car assessment programmes like Japanese NCAP conduct similar tests to ANCAP, which means that the safety ratings on Japanese vehicles are consistent internationally.
If you are buying a new car it is best the look at vehicles with a 4-star safety rating or higher. If you are in a crash in a 5-star ANCAP vehicle, you and your passengers will be twice as likely to survive than if you were in a 1-star car.
Used Cars
Using over 7.5 million vehicles and 1.7 million injured road users in New Zealand and Australia, from 1996 onwards, Monash University Accident Research Centre analysed these accidents to rate the protection to drivers (crashworthiness), harm to other road users (aggressivity) and combined crashworthiness and aggressivity (total secondary safety) were calculated using internationally reviewed methods. The vehicles they then identify as “Safe Pick” are vehicles that score in the best category for both crashworthiness and total crash safety and have Electronic Stability Control available on some models.
The ratings are influenced by the vehicle mass, the structural design of the vehicle body and the safety features such as airbags and types of seatbelts in the vehicle.
There are 217 vehicle models with ratings for protection to drivers. These cover most of the popular vehicles in the Australian and New Zealand vehicle fleets so you can almost guarantee your car will be on the list.
We always recommend getting your car checked by a mechanic or a professional before purchasing so you know you are getting the safest option possible!
Til next time – safe driving!