AA Vehicle Safety Analysis And Report
Today, vehicle safety is of the utmost importance and while top-spec models from various car makers do have a high vehicle safety rating, that hasn’t been the case with some entry-level vehicles. Fortunately, the situation has already started changing as more entry-level vehicles in South Africa have a higher vehicle safety rating. Here is a closer look at the 2022 Automobile Association (AA) Entry-Level Vehicle Safety Report or ELVS for short.
Marked Improvement In Entry-Level Vehicle Safety Ratings
The 2022 Automobile Association (AA) Entry-Level Vehicle Safety Report (ELVS) assesses available safety features on entry-level vehicles available locally. With the AA expressing support to improve vehicle safety levels in South Africa’s entry-level vehicles below R270 000, the landscape has changed for the better.
By including vehicle safety features on entry-level vehicles, most within this category now offer moderate to acceptable safety features. The 2022 AA Report includes results of assessing 38 vehicles based on safety features listed on printed or online brochures. It’s worth noting that this report does not consider the structural integrity of the driver/passenger compartments.
The 38 vehicles in the report are categorised into three groups based on their overall vehicle safety ratings. The categories are as follows:
- Acceptable Safety
- Moderate Safety
- Poor Safety
Four vehicles from the 2022 ELVS Report are categorised as having a ‘Poor Safety’ rating while 23 are placed in the ‘Moderate Safety’ category. A total of 11 entry-level vehicles are in the ‘Acceptable Safety’ category.
In terms of true safety points, 20 or less are considered ‘poor’ while points between 20 and 50 indicate a ‘moderate’ safety rating. Safety points of 50 and above are considered ‘acceptable’.
“The fact that so many vehicles offer moderate or acceptable safety is extremely encouraging and indicates that manufacturers are taking the presence of critical vehicle safety equipment seriously. This is a good trend, and we hope to see even fewer vehicles in the poor category in the years ahead,” says the AA.
Determining Vehicle Safety Score
To calculate the vehicle safety score, two important figures provide the required context to develop the ELVS assessment. The first is South Africa’s high annual road fatality figures and the increasing number of vehicles on the roads.
For example, in 2021, there were 12 541 road fatalities with much of the same predicted for 2022. According to official figures from the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), the current population of vehicles in South Africa is around 11 726 476.
While the report shows promising results, the AA says that this research does not provide a definitive measure of a specific vehicle’s safety rating. The best way to test that is by performing crash tests which would determine whether it receives a zero-star rating or a five-star safety rating.
Regardless, the data from the ELVS assessment provides a good indication of a vehicle’s safety equipment. The large vehicle population and the high road fatality rate show that there is a need for extensive road safety education and improvement of road safety management.
“They also point to a need for consumers to prioritise safety in the vehicles they purchase. The ELVS Report should serve as a basis for their research,” the AA says.
Vehicle Safety Features: 2022 ELVS Report
The 2022 ELVS Report evaluated 38 vehicles against the number of active safety features, such as anti-lock brakes (ABS), electronic stability control (EBD) and passive safety features like airbags.
They awarded points to vehicles for having each of the active and passive safety features. Additional points are also awarded to vehicles that were crash tested under the NCAP system, which in this case, is the Global NCAP’s #SaferCarsforAfrica programme.
- 34 of the 38 vehicles were equipped with Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS)
- >33 had driver and passenger airbags
- 7 of the 28 vehicles had Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
- Only one had side airbags
- No cars had curtain airbags
While the results are positive, the industry still needs to make some improvements, especially in terms of higher-level vehicle safety features. The AA already addressed this in 2019 through its support of the #StopTheCrash partnership which demonstrated the effectiveness of ESC and ABS, among other technologies.
Across the world, these technologies offer tremendous potential to save thousands of lives every year. As such, the United Nations (UN) has developed international standards to help encourage countries to add these life-saving technologies to entry-level vehicles.
“The inclusion of these safety features protects motorists, it’s as simple as that. The inclusion of ESC, for instance, must be considered more seriously by manufacturers as this is a proven technology which can reduce road crashes. We reiterate our call that this technology comes as standard for entry-level vehicles available in South Africa,” says the AA.
Entry-Level Vehicles With Acceptable Safety Ratings
- Fiat 500
- Honda Amaze
- Mahindra XUV300 W4
- Renault KWID
- Suzuki S-Presso, Celerio, Dzire, Ignis and the Suzuki Swift
- Toyota Starlet
Entry-Level Vehicles With Moderate Safety Ratings
- BAIC D20 Hatchback and X25 SUV
- Datsun GO and Datsun GO+
- GWM Steed S/C and D/C
- Hyundai Atos and Hyundai Grand i10
- JMC Landwind
- Kia Pegas and Kia Picanto
- Mahindra KUV100 #XPREZ Panel Van
- Mahindra KUV 100 NXT and Mahindra PIK UP S/C
- Nissan NP200
- Renault Kiger and Renault Triber
- Suzuki Ciaz, Suzuki Ertiga and Suzuki Vitara
- Toyota Agya and Toyota Rumion
- Volkswagen Polo Vivo
Entry-Level Vehicles With Poor Safety Ratings
- JMC Carrying S/C SWB Dropside STD
- JMC Carrying S/C SWB Chassis Cab
- Mahindra Bolero
- Suzuki Super Carry Pick-up
Vehicle Safety And Affordability Index
In addition to scoring vehicle safety based on certain features and awarding true safety points, the ELVS Report also considers safety vs affordability. For example, a vehicle’s score for its safety features is measured against the cost to achieve a Safety/Affordability Score.
The Vehicle Safety/Affordability Index can be used as a guide to better understand the “Affordability of Safety” when buying any vehicle. Here are the determinations as per the 2022 report:
- 4 points and above is ‘acceptable safety/affordability’
- 3 – 3.99 points can be seen as ‘moderate safety/affordability’
- 0 – 2.99 points are regarded as ‘poor safety/affordability’
In 2022, five vehicles are in the ‘acceptable safety/affordability’ category while eight are in the ‘moderate safety/affordability’ category and 25 vehicles fall under the ‘poor safety/affordability’ category.
Is The Report Accurate?
It’s important to note that this is purely desktop research and that a true indication of a vehicle’s safety rating can only be obtained through crash tests. For example, the Datsun GO+ and the Nissan NP300 may have scored high in this research but they scored a zero safety rating in the Global NCAP crash test. The data from this report should only be used as an indication of a vehicle’s safety equipment and not the overall vehicle safety rating. You can view the full report here.
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