Car safety deal revs up row in industry

By CHRIS DANIELS consumer reporter

Car buyers will have access to safety information from across the Tasman to help check out the safety record of vehicles.

The Land Transport Safety Authority has signed up with the Australian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP), agreeing to pay $A100,000 a year for a link to its website.

But this has upset the local car industry, which says the Australian crash test results via the internet could mislead, rather than help, consumers.

The LTSA move comes after years of pressure from former Labour transport spokesman Harry Duynhoven and road safety campaigners, in the face of strong opposition from car makers.

LTSA director Reg Barrett said buyers could now compare makes and models, making it "easier than ever to choose a safer car."

Perry Kerr, the chief executive of the Motor Industry Association, said the industry was sceptical about the Australian test results.

Testing with just one car was suspect, he said, and test cars were crashed into walls much faster than the international standard.

Cars sold in New Zealand were often very different from those used in the Australian tests, with used Japanese imports accounting for 60 per cent of all vehicles arriving in the country. "All the LTSA has done is pay $100,000 a year to get a direct link from their website to the Australian website which is absolute bloody nonsense."

Anyone wanting to buy a vehicle should buy the "largest, newest vehicle they possibly can," he said, preferably with airbags fitted.

A long-time campaigner for Government-endorsed crash testing and publisher of the Dog & Lemon Guide car guide, Clive Matthew-Wilson, applauded the decision to finally work with the Australians.

While ANCAP did test only one car from each model, manufacturers refused to provide their own crash data, despite repeated requests for the information.

"The car companies simply won't front up with the information when their cars have failed a crash test at the factory."

The tests were one of the few ways a buyer could get objective information about vehicle safety and fleet buyers armed with this could make better decisions.

This would eventually lead to a safer second-hand fleet, he said.

LTSA spokesman Craig Dowling said that there was a "strong correlation" between cars that performed badly in crash tests and those involved in crashes on the road. The end of locally assembled cars now meant fewer differences between those sold here and in Australia.

The website's verdict on some of our favourites

Some results for popular New Zealand cars from the Australian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP) website, available through www.ltsa.govt.nz:

* Holden Commodore: Acceptable safety rating of the 1997-1999 Commodore, fitted with a driver's airbag. One concern was the poor protection from serious lower-leg injury.

* Ford Falcon: Acceptable rating for the 1998 model, although again concerns about protection from lower-leg injury. Ford New Zealand said the Australian car tested had only a driver's airbag, while all those sold here were also fitted with passenger airbags.

* Nissan Pulsar: Only marginal results for the 1996 model. There was poor head injury protection in the full frontal crash and a high risk of leg injury. Nissan New Zealand said there were many differences in models of Sentras and Pulsars, with some previously built here, some in Japan and others in Australia.

* Toyota Corolla: The 1996-1997 model achieved only a marginal safety rating, with poor protection from serious head injury for both driver and passenger. While ANCAP said recent changes had made the cars safer, Toyota NZ refused to comment on whether the model tested was any different from that sold here.

* Mitsubishi Mirage: Acceptable. Good protection from head injury, although poor for serious leg injury. Local models, however, did not have airbags, while the one tested in Australia had two.

* Mazda 121: Achieved only a poor rating for the models sold between 1990-1995. In all tests there was poor protection from serious head injury. There was also a high chance of serious leg injury.

* Honda Civic: Acceptable safety rating for the 1996 model, but New Zealand-sold Civics were assembled here to different specifications. Most here were sold with dual airbags, unlike the Australian market.

Links:

www.ltsa.govt.nz