Top Scores in the Latest European and Australian Crash Tests, March 2005

Vehicle manufacturers are heeding the call for greater occupant protection, according to the latest crash test results released today by NRMA Motoring & Services and the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA).

NRMA Vehicle Policy Specialist, Jack Haley and RTA General Manager Road Safety, Dr Soames Job, said the results from the European New Car Assessment Program (EuroNCAP) provided consumers with valuable information on the occupant protection levels of new vehicles.

They said eight vehicles received five star ratings for their occupant protection – the highest rating possible.

“These encouraging outcomes are achieved by good design of the vehicle structure, the installation of effective seat belts and the provision of a full package of airbag protection,” Mr Haley said.

“The Citroen C5, VW Touareg, Renault Scenic, Peugeot 407, Holden Astra CDXi, BMW 1-series, Audi A6 and VW Golf all received five stars.

“The BMW 5-series and the Holden Astra variant without side curtain airbags, scored four stars.”

Dr Job said it was pleasing to see these models, built in Europe, were available with front, side and head protection airbags to provide extra occupant protection.

“With the increasing incidence of side impacts with poles and large vehicles like 4WDs where head impacts are common, the inclusion of head protection for front and rear passengers is of great importance to reduce the risk of head injuries,” Dr Job said.

“We would have liked to see more than one variant of the Holden Astra include head airbag protection as is currently the case in Europe.”

“All manufacturers should provide a six airbag package in their new vehicles to provide all round protection, preferably as standard equipment, but at least as a stand-alone option without being combined with extra items, which increase cost.”

Dr Job said pedestrian impact test results were improving, but more needed to be done to protect these vulnerable road users.

“The Holden Astra CDXi, Audi A6, VW Touareg, Citroen C5 and both BMWs achieved a one star pedestrian result out of a possible four. The Renault Scenic and Peugeot 407 managed two stars and the VW Golf scored three stars,” Dr Job said.

“The pedestrian impact performance of the Golf is encouraging, but generally manufacturers have to pay much more attention to pedestrian protection.

“Pedestrian injuries are increasing as a proportion of all road trauma and we need to address them in all possible ways.”

Mr Haley said the tests were performed by EuroNCAP on a number of vehicles manufactured in Europe and available in Australia, using the same test protocols as the ANCAP group.

“The three tests involve an offset frontal crash test at 64 km/h [40mph], a side impact test at 50 km/h [31mph], and a pedestrian impact test which indicates likely head and leg injuries to pedestrians hit by a test vehicle travelling at 40 km/h [25mph],” Mr Haley said.

“If the vehicle has very low risk of head injury in the side impact test, it undergoes a sideways pole test, where the vehicle impacts a steel pole lined up with the driver’s head at 29 km/hr [16mph] sideways, measuring the effectiveness of head protection side airbags.

“NRMA advises buyers of new vehicles consider good handling, anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control to minimise the risk of being involved in a crash in the first place,” Mr Haley said.

ANCAP is supported by all Australian and New Zealand motoring clubs, all Australian state governments, the New Zealand government and the FIA Foundation.