While the retail motor
industry is admittedly slower than we would like it to be, the fact remains
that new vehicles are being sold and will, for the foreseeable future continue
to be.

With all the options
available to buyers today there are a few factors which should – subject of
course to purchase price – determine what our new vehicle specs should be. Do
this by asking some questions.

The three life-saving
criteria  which need to be established  by buyers or those responsible
for providing cars for their employees are:

-     Choosing a car that
has the full range of safety features as standard will ensure optimum
protection and help reduce the number of crashes and deaths on SA roads

-     Autonomous
Emergency Braking leads the way as a must-have feature on any new car. While
this may be utopian and something to be aspired to we should at the very least
ensure that we have ABS.

-     Manufacturers,
dealers and fleet suppliers should be making it easier for consumers to understand
what advanced driver assistance systems do and why they are important – as well
as being absolutely clear about which cars have the highest standard safety
specification. So often we find participants at our driver training programs
that drivers don’t know half of what their vehicles are equipped with.

Four major automotive
names joined forces at the London Motor Show as part of the Global NCAP partnership
to ensure that consumers considering buying a new car know the life-saving
questions they must ask their dealer before making their choice, namely:

 1. What
Euro NCAP test rating does this car have?

 2. Is Autonomous
Emergency Braking (AEB) fitted to this car – and is it standard?

 3. What else
should I do to maximise the safety protection offered by this car?

The evidence in favour
of AEB is unequivocal. A report released by Euro NCAP in 2015 found that
Autonomous Braking systems were responsible for a 38 per cent reduction in
real-world rear-end crashes. Despite these statistics – and the fact that
vehicle manufacturers have made good progress in making the technology
available – AEB is currently only standard fit on 17% of new cars currently on
sale in the UK.

Anyone responsible for
buying a car for themselves, their family or their employees would be failing
in their duty of care not to ask these questions.

Till next time - Drive
Safe and remember to ask the above.

Eugene Herbert