The past year saw a total of more than 16,000 traffic accidents in Hong Kong, including some 15% serious and 130 fatalities. Automobile manufacturers have, in recent years, strived hard to enhance their anti-crash performance for the protection of drivers, passengers and pedestrians. According to the latest Euro NCAP car crash test, while the majority of car samples gave good overall performance, individual models when subjected to frontal, side or rear crash tests, their protection to drivers or passengers was unsatisfactory. In car purchase, consumers are advised to pay attention besides the price, the function and the design, to also its crash protection equipment and safety performance.
As recent development of the Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) system has become more mature, indeed many new models in the test are fitted with this system. The test has proved the AEB system to be effective in crash avoidance of the vehicle ahead or pedestrian. Nevertheless it is not yet commonly available in Hong Kong. The Consumer Council has written to the manufacturer agents for further information. It was found that out of the 47 models in the test, 30 European versions were fitted with AEB, but only 8 Hong Kong versions came with the system as a standard equipment while 7 offered AEB as an option at extra cost. 25 others were not equipped with AEB nor would they offer it as an option, and the remaining 7 in the process of planning or considering for AEB installation. The Council recommends consumers purchasing new cars to consider installing AEB, and on the other hands, agents to import more cars fitted with AEB as standard installation to provide added protection to the motorists.
Included in the test were family sedans, sports cars, executive cars, off-roaders and vans etc. The samples were rated for overall performance based on: driver and adult passenger safety (40%), child passenger safety (20%), pedestrian safety (20%), and safety aid system (20%). The test also simulated a pedestrian suddenly darting out across the road, to test if the AEB system could automatically reduce the car speed to avert the collision. Among the 47 car models currently or soon-to-be available in the Hong Kong market, 34 models were awarded the top rating of 5 points while 8 models received 4 points and 5 scored 3 points.
In regard to driver and adult passenger safety protection, the vehicles were put through a series of stringent frontal, side and rear crash tests which showed the majority to perform well in the frontal crash test. But in 1 van model its dashboard could lead to injury to the knees and femurs of both front-seat occupants in the event of a crash while a small family car though judged to be satisfactory in driver protection, its protection to the heads of the rear-seat passengers was considered poor.
In the rear crash test, the seat protection level of 11 models was rated relatively low. In particular, 2 of the models’ back seats design was judged poor in protection to the back-seat passenger’s neck, scoring only 1.2 points on a 3-point scale.
In the side crash test, the top 19 performers all scored the full 16 points; and except for 1 model European version was not fitted with a standard side head airbag receiving only 8 points, the 27 remainders all scored 14 points or more.
In the child passenger safety test, 36 models received a high rating of 80% or more but 1 model had only a score of 32%. In the crash test, the 10-year-old child dummy was found to bump its head against the car interior, giving the worst performance.
Consumers purchasing cars are advised to pay heed to the following:
- Some of the cars in the Hong Kong market may have safety installations different from those of the European versions in the test. Generally, the more safety features the better the safety performance of a car.
- Other than the price, design and usage (for instance, the need to transport children regularly), attention should also be paid to such standard equipment as side airbags, knee airbags, curtain airbags, and AEB system, etc.
- Some models offer additional safety installation as option; consumers could find out from the agents, prior to purchase, if such addition is available.
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