The trusted voice of the industry
for more than 30 years

New cars safer for pedestrians

Posted on 06 October, 2016
New cars safer for pedestrians

Two new SUVs – the BMW X1 and Volkswagen Tiguan – have earned praise for their pedestrian safety. Both models come equipped with an active bonnet, which raises the hood of the car in a crash to reduce the risk of serious injury to pedestrians. Both have received a five-star rating from ANCAP. AA network support manager Philip Collings says the way manufacturers are approaching vehicle safety is evolving to include pedestrians as well – who are the most defenceless road users. “It’s great to see that features that protect our most vulnerable road users are not just limited to vehicles at the higher end of the spectrum, but increasingly coming through in mid-range cars,” he says. The BMW X1 takes the safety approach one step further with the inclusion of automatic emergency calling (e-call), which alerts emergency services if the vehicle is involved in a crash through its telematics and intelligent navigation systems. “We’re going to see a lot more of this feature, particularly with vehicles coming out of Europe, which again adds another edge to the competition in new vehicles,” Collings says. Both vehicles come equipped with an impressive range of safety features including emergency brake assist (EBA), electronic stability control (ESC) and electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD). ANCAP is the Australasian New Car Assessment Program. It is supported by all Australian motoring clubs, the New Zealand Automobile Association, the Australian Government, the New Zealand Government, Australian state and territory governments, the Victorian Transport Accident Commission, NRMA Insurance and the FIA Foundation.