MOTORING NEWS - Almost 75% of prospective new car owners say their purchase decision will be influenced by whether a car has been crash tested and safety rated. This is one of the findings of a new survey recently conducted by the Automobile Association (AA).
Of these prospective buyers, 81% also say the ratings of vehicles will influence their decision if they are presented with two similar vehicles with different safety ratings. The survey polled more than 650 people and comes after the launch last year of #SaferCarsforAfrica, the first independent crash test assessment by Global NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme) and the AA. NCAP assesses the safety of new vehicles in crash simulations.
The results last year focused on the crash test assessments of five of South Africa's popular compact and small cars. The crash results of the five cars tested showed a wide range of safety, from four to zero stars for adult protection, with the lowest ratings resulting in a high probability of life threatening injury in a road crash.
The models tested include South Africa's best-selling car, the VW Polo Vivo. The Datsun Go+, Toyota Etios, Renault Sandero and Chery QQ3 also underwent the safety assessment. Combined sales of these five cars account for around 65% of all new cars sold in South Africa in 2016.
The survey found that despite around 86% of respondents not yet being aware of the crash test results for South Africa, 81% of them say their decisions to buy will be influenced by different safety ratings. In addition, 83% of people say having a safety rating on every vehicle sold in the country will help them decide which vehicle to purchase.
Another important result from the survey is that more than 91% of respondents say there should be minimum safety equipment standards including anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic stability control (ESC) and airbags on all new vehicles sold in South Africa. If these were fitted as standard to all new cars, it would add very little to the retail price.
"These results are incredibly important because they point to a worldwide trend among buyers to opt for safer vehicles. Almost 90% of the respondents also believe it should be compulsory for safety ratings to be displayed on vehicles at the point of sale, another sign that local buyers are becoming increasingly aware of the safety of the vehicles they are driving," says the AA.
The association says manufacturers will be wise to realise the growing trend for safer vehicles locally, as this will play a gradually more important role in buying decisions in the future.
"Buyers are no longer swayed by the extras available on vehicles such as connectivity or the trim on a car. More and more are looking at how the vehicle will hold up in a crash and how safe their passengers will be in such an event," the AA notes.
In addition, the AA says it is critical that government legislates that minimum safety standards have to be applied to new vehicles and that new vehicles should carry vehicle safety ratings at the point of sale, making it easier for buyers to assess the safety of vehicles and using this information in making their decision.
"Given South Africa's high road fatality rate and low vehicle insurance take-up among motorists, safer vehicles are no longer an option but a necessity. Prospective new vehicle owners must do their homework on the vehicles they consider buying, with a key factor being the safety rating it receives," says the AA.
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