#SaferCarsforAfrica launches in Cape Town

By Ané Theron

If you knew that a certain car that suits your budget has a zero-star safety rating, would you still buy it?

Global NCAP and AA South Africa have launched #SaferCarsforAfrica in Cape Town yesterday, with the first independent crash test assessment of some of South Africa’s most popular compact and small cars.

South African road fatalities make for scary statistics, so the figure of 832 431 crashes in 2016 is hardly surprising. According to the Road Accident Fund, this equates to a cost to the local economy of R142 billion, which includes loss of earnings paid out, funeral costs, general damages as well as other claims and liabilities. But despite the cost, what about the quality of life for those who are seriously injured, or the families left behind? As life gets more and more expensive, should it not also be the manufacturer’s responsibility to ensure that their budget offerings have at least ABS and one airbag, and decent structural integrity? That’s where Global NCAP come in. With their crashworthiness tests, Global NCAP aim to inform the public of the risk associated with travelling in certain cars. According to studies, safety features are, by far, the most important factor when deciding which car to buy. This changes everything indeed – once the consumer has tried-and-tested, accurate information, manufacturers will have no choice but to comply, or risk losing valuable sales.

Lauchlan McIntosh, Chairman of Global NCAP, said: “In 2016 the United Nations General Assembly adopted a road safety resolution which recognised the important role NCAPs play as a catalyst for improving vehicle safety standards. The UN has sought to encourage the spread of NCAPs across the regions and automotive markets of the world and today, in Cape Town, I am delighted that Global NCAP is helping to achieve that goal with the launch of the first ever crashworthiness program for cars sold in Africa. Global NCAP has provided assistance to launch similar programs in South America, India and the ASEAN region, programs which have led to the delivery of safer cars into those markets over the last five years.”

One example is the Renault Kwid. Available in South Africa, the Indian-built Kwid is a sales success of note, but features no ABS and only one airbag - yet it still scores one star for adult occupant protection. When the Brazilian-built Kwid launched to the Latin American market, it had a zero-star safety rating. Pressure from Global NCAP has ensured that it now scores three stars for 2017.

“Working closely with our partners at the Automobile Association of South Africa and with the welcome support of the FIA Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropy, our new campaign is an important first milestone on the road to Safer Cars for Africa”, McIntosh says.

By 2020, Global NCAP is aiming for all new cars to meet UN crash test standards with airbags, ABS and ESC (stability control) fitted as standard. ESC is mandatory in most high-income countries. Global NCAP is even going as far as pushing for Autonomous Emergency Braking, which will apply the brakes automatically if the driver doesn’t react in time. This safety feature is currently only available in the premium brands, but is starting to filter through to the somewhat more affordable cars, such as the Opel Astra, albeit in the high-end variants.

The South African budget-buys that were subjected to a frontal impact crash test are as follows:

• South Africa’s best-selling passenger vehicle, the VW Polo Vivo;
• Datsun Go+;
• Toyota Etios;
• Renault Sandero; and
• Chery QQ3.

Combined sales of these five cars account for around 65% of all the new cars sold in South Africa in 2016. Global NCAP selected the entry-level model of each, and as a result, one of them (the QQ3) was not issued with any standard airbags. The results also highlight differences in the structural integrity of the vehicles tested.

The frontal-impact test

Inside these cars are two crush-test dummies in the driver and passenger seats, and in the rear, two infants strapped into car-seats that were recommended by the manufacturer of the car in question. The protocol used is the same as in Safer Cars for India and Latin NCAP 2013. It is conducted at 64 km per hour.

The Etios scored the highest points for adult protection with four stars, and a child protection score of 3. The Sandero scored three stars for adult protection, but scored four stars for child protection. Both the Etios and Sandero have 2 airbags each, ABS and EBD, Isofix child seat anchorage points (outer rear) as standard, as well as three-point safety belts on the rear seat. (The Renault Sandero is the only car with ESC as standard.)

The VW Polo Vivo scored three stars for adult protection and three for child occupancy. It has two airbags, ABS with EBD, but no three-point seat belt on the rear middle seat.

The Datsun Go+ scored one star for the front adult passenger and two for the infants in the rear seats – the Go+ has no ABS, and only one airbag. The Chery QQ3 scored zero, because of its poor structural integrity and lack of any airbags and ABS.