Car safety discussed at forum in Cape Town
At the Safer Mobility Forum in Cape Town on September 1, participants discussed car safety in South Africa, crash-test standards, and the role of business and the state. At the same time, the discussion on the accessibility of safer cars for the public lacked community representatives, Daily Maverick reports.
Toyota Starlet crash test
One of the forum's central events was the presentation of a damaged Toyota Starlet equipped with curtain airbags. Under the local testing rules of the Automobile Association of South Africa, cars without such airbags cannot receive more than two out of five stars.
Association CEO Bobby Ramagwede acknowledged the car's deformation during the test. At the same time, he explained that the NCAP rating primarily assesses biomechanical injuries sustained by a dummy or a person inside the vehicle, rather than only the car's structural deformation. According to him, deformation must remain within acceptable limits, but the main indicator is the level of harm to the passenger.
Positions of rental companies and insurers
Ana Bonanni, head of Avis's retail and business division, said that the company removes from its fleet models rated zero or one star in independent tests and does not include them in subsequent purchases. At the same time, a Daily Maverick journalist who contacted the Avis call center about renting a Hyundai Grand i10 was told that the model's availability would depend on the specific rental office. The operator also said that the car is listed in Group B. In AA testing, the Hyundai Grand i10 received zero stars.
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Precious Nduli, commercial director of Discovery Insure, noted that insurers determine premiums primarily based on the frequency and severity of insurance claims, which depend on a driver's risk profile. According to her, more than 60% of road deaths are related to human behavior. The company does not use Global NCAP star ratings to calculate insurance premiums because an insurance contract concerns car repairs, not passengers' physical condition.
Transport and safety
Mokonyama Matabata, deputy director general of the Department of Transport, who represented Minister Barbara Creecy, said that vehicle and passenger safety should not be considered a luxury or an additional expense, but should be a basic element of public safety.
Ramagwede also linked safer mobility to the restoration of passenger rail services, which, in his view, would give people an alternative to cars. He stressed that airbags do not prevent accidents, but can reduce the number of deaths and the severity of injuries. Ramagwede also said that his next goal is to achieve a reduction in the number of trucks on the roads.
