By SCOTT MacLEOD transport reporter
Big cars are getting safer for their occupants as manufacturers cram the vehicles with airbags and crumple zones.
Large European cars remain the safest, but some vehicles built in Australia now rival their protection in head-on smashes. Conversely, big Japanese cars tend to be quite safe when
hit from the side, but not as good in head-on smashes.
The trends are seen in the latest big-car crash test results released by the Australian New Car Assessment Programme, which is partly funded from New Zealand. The results are for nine models - Ford Falcon, Holden Commodore, Mercedes E-class, Mitsubishi Magna, Renault Laguna II, Saab 9-5, Toyota Camry, Toyota Avalon and Volvo S80.
They showed the safest was the Renault, which was the first big car to score five out of five stars at a European crash test station.
Next best were the Mercedes, Saab and Volvo, each with four stars. The Japanese and Australian vehicles all scored three.
Land Transport Safety Authority spokesman Craig Dowling said the results showed that cars with more airbags were safer, especially when hit from the side.
All the cars tested had airbags, but some were placed only for those in the front seat or - in three cases - just for the driver.
Most of the cars with side airbags were European models, and the authority hoped the results would prompt Australian manufacturers to match their rivals.
Big new cars tend to be sold to businesses as fleet vehicles, and the models tested could take years to filter into the second-hand market.
The big-car results echo figures released in November for small vehicles, which also showed improved safety.
The safest small cars were the Audi A3, Holden Astra, Mercedes A140, Peugeot 206, Toyota Echo and VW Golf. The worst was the Daewoo Lanos, and the Daewoo Nubira and Nissan Pulsar were nearly as bad.
Mr Dowling said that driving a big car with a three-star rating was still safer than driving a small one with four stars, because of the extra bulk and weight.
Although the big cars all scored at least three out of five for passenger safety, their rating for pedestrian safety was a uniform two.
Links
Australian New Car Assessment Programme crash tests
