Unsafest cars on the road revealed

Analysis of road crash statistics has revealed Australia’s least safe cars, showing that several small hatchbacks – cars typically favoured by older Australians and P-platers – are moving death traps.

Several small hatchbacks, such as older versions of the Suzuki Swift, Ford Fiesta, Holden Barina, Mazda2, Hyundai Accent, Hyundai Getz, Toyota Echo and Kia Rio, were rated “very poor” in the latest TAC Used Car Safety Ratings Buyer’s Guide. All these cars scored just one star out of five for safety.

Older models of the country’s best-selling car, the Toyota Corolla (2002-2007), scored two stars, while its rival, the popular Mitsubishi Lancer, scored just one.

High-end cars typically scored better.

The BMW 1 Series and Audi A3 from 2003-14 and later models of the VW Golf (13-16) were all rated five stars.

However, some cheaper mainstream cars also performed quite well, with Ford Focus (09-12), Hyundai i30 (07-12), Subaru Impreza (07-16) and Holden Cruze (09-16) all scoring four stars.

And while luxury cars topped the rankings for sedans, the Ford Mondeo (07-15), Subaru Liberty/Outback (09-14), Volkswagen Passat (06-15) and Toyota Camry (11-16) each scored five stars.

Late model Ford Falcons and Holden Commodores scored five stars, but earlier model Commodores (built prior to 2007) scored only two stars.

SUVs were deemed the safest vehicles, with 20 models scoring five stars. Only one SUV, the RAV4 from 1994-2000, scored one star.

Although SUVs, utes and large sedans scored highest, RACQ’s head of technical and safety policy, Steve Spalding, says that bigger vehicles aren’t necessarily the safest choice for many drivers.

“An F-Series [Ford SUV] is clearly an inappropriate choice for an inexperienced driver,” he said.

“Higher riding four-wheel-drives can be quite unstable and produce tragic outcomes in terms of spinal injuries from rollovers.

“People should always buy the safest car they can afford. We’d recommend a four or five-star rating from the guide,” he said.

He warned of the hazards of driving an older car. Cars built before 2000 make up 20 per cent of the total cars on the road but are involved in 33 per cent of all crashes. He also said there could be a ten-fold increase in the risk of serious injury and death between the best and worst used cars on the road.

How old is your car? Do you know if it is safe? Would you drive an SUV just because you were told it was safest? Or would you stick to a car that is comfortable for you to drive, and practice better road sense instead?

13 comments

i bought a second hand mazda supposedly the car dealer did a road worthy I found the engine mounts were rusted and cant remember what else, its not always the make of car thats the problem

Buying by safety star rating is one thing...Hefty service and repair costs  of 4-star and 5-star vehicles are another, especially  luxury cars...Need I mention Motor Vehicle insurance premium and premium fuel costs...hmm?

@HS premium fuel gives you better mileage so in the long run its cheaper also cleans your engine I'm told. 

 

Maybe we should just put more effort into making sure drivers are actually capable of driving properly.

Attitudinal?

I believe that the authorities have done their very best to ensure that all who seek and obtain a licence do have the necessary advice, knowledge and basics.  But what can be done where the driver is too stupid to comply with regulations, take care and develop his/her skills further?  People can be clever and at the same time, damned stupid. 

In my view the problem is that student drivers are taught how to obtain a license, rather than how to drive.  Of course I am looking at my experiance of over forty tears ago, maybe the attitude is different now, if it is I am happy to take my statement back.

Drivers are the biggest risk not the make of car!

Maybe we should not labour too much on the safety aspects of cars, it lulls people into thinking that since they are in a"safe " car they are indestructable.

Any car is safe, if you don't hit another object with it.

Many bad crashes are at high speed.

I don't think the safety ratings would matter in these cases. Every thing is wrecked.

My you-beaut car's reversing camera system alerts had an epic fail yesterday. Usually the darn thing beeps at the slightest movement but no ... missed another vehicle reversing at the same time ... completely.

Times like that I am so glad of the old-fashioned reversing mirror and being reasonably alert as a driver. Caught the hazard in the corner of my eye, no damage done thank goodness.

However, I'm very appreciative of the safety aspects of new vehicles.

:) Can remember the days when when mobile rust buckets were deadly, that is, if they didn't break down. AND, the terror of retrieving the monster after a service. Never knew what the exorbitant cost was going to be in those days. Thank goodness for capped-price servicing now.

 

Thanks for that - capped price servicing eh. 

I am guilty of not having dealer etc servicing mine very often. Do engine change and other oils as needed myself.

Just had an alternator replaced first big service on current SUV which I have had for 15 years Mazda 6 and on premium it really is almost too fast - cruises at 70.

Cost of the new alternator which also had burnt out the wiring so had to have a auto bloke in to do that cost an extra $20 and they did a wheel alignment as had to take off the front wheels - free - so all up was $1006.70 which is not bad I thought anyway. 

The engineers deserve our thanks for making cars and roads safer. 

Some very stupid people negate those improvements through their poor driving choices.  For instance, the fool who does not understand that the speed limit is not the speed all should be driving at, but the maximum possible speed for a suitable, well maintained vehicle and in the best conditions.  

I take notice of safety ratings, but a five star safety would not convince me to buy a vehicle with a poor reputation for robustness and reliability, or expensive repairs and servicing.  Sadly, the dealerships for some of those European vehicles are few and far between and repairs and servicing are inordinately expensive.

Go with the flock.  There are usually very good reasons why best sellers are preferred by the public.

My God RnR, "old fashioned reversing mirror"!! I know that I'm ancient and to some extent behind the times but that expression really hit home. Does that mean that if I decide to trade-in my car with old fashioned mirrors I will get a real lousy price for it? Maybe a collector of vintage mirrors could be interested? Also will I have to pay extra to get old mirrors installed in the latest models? I'm completely boggled.

P.S. How times have changed, I can remember being satisfied, even thrilled, when my 2nd hand 1957 Holden had a radio in it. It even played " Heart Break Hotel" down the end of lonely street, you get so lonely! etc. Never mind you didn't need gadgets to play with then because there were such things as drive- in movie theatres. Wasn't all bad!!

 

My reversing mirror falls off when the weather gets hot. I took it to my mechanic and he said I could get one at a dealership near my place. I saw the fellow and he looked up the computer to get a price. He came back and said he could order one for 3.95 I said $3.95 was a  good price, but he said No, $395.00. I was flabbergasted, I said "It's not a Rolls Royce", anyway I said not to worry and bought some gaffer tape and taped it to the windscreen, problem solved. It's a Mazda 323 and I can't get one from the scrap yard. 

Hi HOLA, I hope you, like your Mazda mirror, don't fall off when the weather gets hot?. You might (like Humpty Dumpty) need heaps of gaffer tape to put you back together again! If so I'll be one of the Kings Men to try, if you like? BTW the motor spare parts industry is a big rip off. I'm surprised that you were unable to find a scrap one though. Did you find a yard that specialised in Mazda parts?

Hi Sageman - No I wasn't able to get a mirror for my car. Some Mazda spare parts yard said I can come out to the yard and look for myself and to bring some pliers with me. Can you imagine me crawling over all those old cars looking for a mirror? I've given up looking and will keep some spare tape in the glove box just in case it starts to slide. The man from Bunnings said I could try some thick glue, but no guarantee. I think you might have to get on a plane and hop over here to show me a few tricks, car wise that is. 

Love the "gaffer tape" solution Hola. Sometimes the alternatives are just too bloody expensive, inconvenient, convoluted or darn near impossible to consider.

Good on you. Reminds me of days on the farm in my younger days ... if you couldn't fix it with No 8 wire or a wheat bag ... forget it. These days seems it's gaffer tape or WD40 ... or forget it, then sell.

HOLA I'm glad you qualified the "trick showing" comment to only mean cars! Because as an old dog no-one has been willing to teach me new tricks anywhere else lately, more's the pity! However as you know, some tricks can pass the test of time and even be improved upon so the few I have in my repertoire will have to suffice for the time being. You as a "woman of the world" would most likely know them anyway. Perhaps with your background you could show me the "Indian rope trick"? only joking but that was a mystery! Was it for real?

The ignorant person telling you to take pliers to the scrap yard was really helpful wasn't he, couldn't get off his arse to help you! That figures though! Service is becoming a dirty word in some quarters.!!

sageman- The Indian Rope Trick is not in my repertoire but I can certainly charm a snake out of tree with my flute, remember the one I took to the Desert? I reckon I was a hit over there, Cats can surely back me up. 

You should have a look at John Cadogen's comments on the use of premium fuels. autoexpert.com.au More than interesting and on doing a couple of test tanks on my Camry, it is a waste of money. My neighbours son worked for Ferrari in Italy. His dad bought a CX7.. son's advice was to put an occassional tank of premium thru it and save some $ He has been doing just that for 5 years now, No issues in over 145k km.

If the carpenter is bad, he blames the tools. If the driver is a twit, he blames the car. It might help if people didn't hang  bobbleheads on their rearview mirrors though, they have a hypnotic effect!

You need to give your advice to your mate Micha because he is the only person at YLC who has admitted to having a bobblehead in his car (ute). No-one I know would have a bobblehead in their car.....so yesterday!

Reagan was not speaking to you anaconda.

Image result for bobblehead snake animated gif

No but he was speaking about you bobble boy!

That's none of your business anaconda.

 

 

 

 

 

........... the Internet is a FREE global communication platform for the World Mica?  You don't know that??  You post whatever you like (childish and bullying as it may be......)

The incestuous Micha gang all disappear from the forum and return at the same time

olbat, you wouldn't understand since you hava no friends, but we "multi heads" like each other's company so much that when the others aren't around we see no need to come in, too boring.

Guess it's the Irish in me. have a good night chilly willy, LOL

Image result for friends animated gif

Good one Reagan. hahahaha

Re the premium fuel comments.  I tried that experiment for a while. I travelled a lot with my job and was paid a per km car allowance, so took regular mileage readings.  What I found was that on long trips it did, in fact, give me better mileage, but on short trips the difference was negligible.  I don't know if it did any good for the engine as such.  That particular car had more problems than most, to be honest, but that was probably just a coincidence, not the fault of the fuel.

As for the safety issues, those big 4WD vehicles might well be the safest, for their owners, not so sure about any other driver who has the bad luck to be in a collision with one.

They do seem to be very popular though, at least around here.  It seems as though every second car on the road is a 4WD.

I wouldn’t want to collide with one but as well as that, they are awful to park next to in nose to curb situations because they occlude vision so much when backing out into traffic.

Just look at the way some them are parked, it will prove how hard it is to park them.  I sometimes wonder if you should have to under go further testing depending on the car you drive.  A lot of people who drive larger vehicles seem to have no idea how to actually drive them.  Any one wishing to buy a car over a certain weight should have to provide evidence of extra training in order to purchase one.

I am sick of having to drop my speed in order to compensate for inadequatley trained drivers who insist on tail gating, my motto, the closer you get, the slower I will go. 

 

I drive a 4WD and have no problems. I think it's a really safe vehicle and it's nice to see people get out of my way! 

On a serious note, a car is in the main only as safe as the driver. Put an idiot behind the wheel and any car becomes a dangerous weapon.

13 comments



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