| In Australia, a study was recently conducted | | | | vehicle is involved in a crash? You can't see |
| to rate the safety of cars from years past. | | | | how the vehicle is going to perform when you |
| The study was undertaken to give consumers | | | | are in the showroom or the used car yard." |
| who are looking to buy second hand cars | | | | |
| adequate information as to the safety of a | | | | The study did not only focus on the safety of |
| certain vehicle. With numerous cars aged more | | | | car occupants in the event of a crash but |
| than ten years on Australian roads, the study | | | | also took into account the safety of other |
| will be helping consumers decide which | | | | motorists. Unlike modern cars which are |
| second-hand car can protect the adequately in | | | | designed to absorb more energy from a |
| the unfortunate event of a crash. | | | | collision, old cars have solid bumpers which |
| | | | can seriously hurt the occupants of anther |
| According to Australia's Herald Sun, the gap | | | | car. |
| in terms of the crashworthiness of the safest | | | | |
| old car and the worst is significantly wide. | | | | The result of the study is a huge boost to |
| The study found out that the Daihatsu Hi-Jet | | | | Volkswagen popularity in the territory. Not |
| from 1982 to 1990 is the worst of the lot. | | | | only does the largest European automaker show |
| The safest in the group is the Volkswagen | | | | that their VW seat belts and airbags make |
| Passat from 1998 until 2005. According to the | | | | their new cars safer but they have also |
| study, motorists are 26 times more likely to | | | | proven that they have been making safe cars |
| be fatally injured in the Hi-Jet than in the | | | | in the past. |
| Passat. | | | | |
| | | | Aside from the best-rated Passat, other |
| Alarmingly, the study found out that of the | | | | notable Volkswagen auto models which are |
| 279 cars that they have tested, 48 are | | | | rated above average are the Volkswagen Bora |
| potential risks to the life of car occupants. | | | | and Golf. Versions of these cars from 1999 to |
| These vehicles are not the usually obscure | | | | 2004 are highly rated in terms of safety. In |
| makes but these are popular vehicles making | | | | contrast, the Mitsubishi Cordia made from |
| the result of the study more alarming. These | | | | 1983 to 1987 are considered to have below |
| 48 cars were rated "much worse than average". | | | | average crashworthiness. |
| The study involved 2.8 million cars which | | | | |
| were involved in an accident in Australia and | | | | The below par performance of about one of six |
| in New Zealand from 1987 to 2005. | | | | old cars is showing that not all solid cars |
| | | | are safe. Not only that, the study also found |
| These vehicles are a serious threat to the | | | | out that the price tag on the cars does not |
| safety of motorists. While buying second hand | | | | necessarily translate to safety. There are |
| cars that are still in very good condition | | | | expensive cars which performed poorly |
| may be a good choice for consumers, the fact | | | | compared to relatively cheaper cars. |
| that many old cars are unsafe, it is a risk | | | | |
| that customers need to be warned about. | | | | "We are seeing a number of small cars, which |
| | | | are $10,000 or under, performing very well in |
| Michael Case, the RACV chief engineer, has | | | | terms of both their occupant protection and |
| this to say as to the importance of the | | | | their collision partner protection," said Dr. |
| study: "A lot of people, when they look to | | | | Stuart Newstead, a senior researcher at the |
| purchase a car, are influenced by a wide | | | | Monash University Accident Research Centre. |
| range of things... But what happens when the | | | | |