Too many car buyers take safety features for granted when they go shopping for a new car.
But the most important ones are in the minority it seems.
Rather than pay extra for top of the range info-tainment systems that might distract drivers during their operation, we’d like to see more motorists understanding, appreciating and actively asking for the likes of 5 star NCAP car ratings, AEB (Autonomous Emergency Braking) systems and new tyre safety features.
And of course we’d like to see safety features figuring a lot higher on the list of selling points for used cars, but we don’t see this happening quite yet.
Who are #STOPTHECRASH at the new London Motor Show?
We were particularly interested in the partnership of leading car safety-related businesses Thatcham Research, Bosch, Continental Tyres and ZF TRW (re chassis/safety related technology) who are joining forces at the new London Motor Show at a stand called #STOPTHECRASH.
They are doing this to help motorists ask the right safety-related questions, then compare the answers, before buying a new car.
What are the lifesaving features for all new cars?
Here are their suggested life-saving questions for car buying motorists to ask, before deciding which car is the safest for them and their family.
1. What Euro NCAP test rating does this car have?
2. Is Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) fitted to this car – and is it standard?
3. What else should I do to maximise the safety protection offered by this car?
Why choose Autonomous Braking as a new car safety feature?
Choose Autonomous Braking as a must-have safety feature on your next new car and you’ll be doing your bit to reduce the annual 100,000 rear end crashes on UK roads resulting in associated and often avoidable injuries and fatalities.
None of this is rocket science, just common sense that you could #STOPTHECRASH by stopping your car sooner than you might do otherwise in an emergency, because of inferior tyre and/or brake conditions.
Don’t forget the safety importance of brakes and car tyres
A report released by Euro NCAP in 2015 found that Autonomous Braking (AEB) systems were responsible for a 38 per cent reduction in real-world rear-end crashes.
Yet despite these statistics AEB is only standard fit on 17% of new cars currently on sale in the UK. We’re supporting Thatcham Research work to do something about this.
“Autonomous Emergency Braking as standard should be the number one priority for anyone choosing a new car.”
said David Ward, Secretary-General of the Global New Car Assessment Programme (Global NCAP).
“The technology is already available in one form or another from almost every car manufacturer and in the absence of legislation to make it mandatory, we are encouraging car shoppers to use their buying influence to make sure that every new car coming onto the road has this life-saving feature fitted.”
Demonstrations showing the safety advantage provided by Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) will run throughout the show and anyone wanting to check which new cars have AEB can do so via the Thatcham Research website.
NB: Tyres wear out on new cars too
Contrary to the number of times I’ve heard motorists saying “I change my car every two to three years” to explain their not needing a FREE car safety check, this doesn’t stop tyre wear leading to potentially dangerous tyres, depending on annual mileage.
Representatives from Continental Tyres will be on hand at the #STOPTHECRASH Show to demonstrate that, despite the UK legal limit for tread depth being 1.6mm, car tyres only perform at 55% efficiency with this amount of wear.
FOXY Lady Drivers Club publishes tyre safety advice for women drivers and supports Continental Tyres’ recommendation that we replace tyres when tread depth reaches 3mm. Sadly, in these instances, too many motorists think that the industry is selling them tyres they don’t need, simply because the 1.6mm limit is ‘legal’. They simply don’t understand that the Government is allowing them to drive on tyres that are not as efficient and could let them down in an emergency situation.
Shockingly Continental Tyre research says that 40 per cent of drivers have NEVER checked the tread of their tyres, choosing instead to wait for a service, while 20 per cent admit that they do not even know how to carry out a tyre check.
This confirms roadside tyre check findings we’ve seen, where fractionally more women were unaware of tyre safety than men. So this rings true for us and is why we are increasingly proactive in encouraging women to go for regular tyre safety checks at FOXY Lady Approved tyre centres that women know they can can trust. .
“Research shows that three quarters of all collisions occur at speeds under 20 mph,” commented David Ward. “Even the most basic AEB system in conjunction with sensible tyre safety could prevent the vast majority of these incidents.”
We shouldn’t need to say any more.
FOXY
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For more information
About The New London Motor Show
About the #STOPTHECRASH partnership
About FOXY’s female friendly tyre services register
I am often asked if our network is different from others that sound impressive but that any Tom, Dick or Harry garage can join. I can honestly answer ‘yes we’re different’.