OLD SMALL CAR DEATH TRAPS
Parents on a budget looking to put their kids into inexpensive used small cars could be consigning them to death traps.
The latest RACQ safety research has revealed the dangers of smaller older vehicles which can be up to five times less safe than later models.
Any vehicles produced before the year 2000 were lucky to receive more than one star.
Anything from Daewoo, the Ford Laser (95-97), Nissan Pulsar (2000-05) while Hyundai’s Accents, Elantras, Excels and Lantras (1995-2006) all received one star ratings.
Sixty-five of the 279 second hand vehicles surveyed as one star or “very poor”, compared to 36 cars which received the highest rating.
RACQ head of technical and safety policy Steve Spalding said buyers should look at bigger cars. “We found heavier, larger cars like the Mazda CX-7 SUV and the Subaru Liberty sedan scored well. While many of the smaller, older cars such as the Toyota Echo and Hyundai Getz had very low levels of protection for the driver,” Mr Spalding said.
“Most young drivers opt for a small car when they get their licence, but if they want the best protection in the event of a crash they need to swap for the safer family car.
“Thankfully nowadays safety doesn’t have to come at a high price — many safe used vehicles can be bought for less than $10,000.”
Mr Spalding said used car buyers should be looking for cars with the latest safety features.
“If all cars had comprehensive safety features like airbags and electronic stability control, the number of fatal and disabling crashes would significantly drop,” he said.