Used car safety improving
New data reveals safest second hand carsAccording to new 2009 figures released by Used Car Safety Ratings (UCSR), a division of the Victorian CTP insurer TAC, drivers in the market for a second hand car can still find many safe options.
The UCSR used data collected from more than three million cars and the analysis of more than 740,000 injured road users who were involved in car crashes across Australia and New Zealand. All told, 239 second hand vehicles were rated in 2009, and of these 118 were rated as 'excellent' or 'good' in terms of crashworthiness.
The results of the study show that a handful of Australian-made cars were rated as 'above average' but the safest second hand cars available in Australia were European or Japanese vehicles for the most part. An excerpt from a media statement released by the HowSafeIsYourCar.com.au website revealed: "If you’re looking for a small car or a large car, there are cars with excellent or good safety ratings in every market group," but added that "There are also significant safety gaps between the best and worst performing used cars."
The 2009 crashworthiness ratings assess a range of safety criteria of cars, including "the impact of a crash on other road users like pedestrians, as well as on the car’s own occupants" says the reports author.
As such, vehicles that deliver excellent occupant protection will not necessarily be rated 'excellent' overall if they do not protect other road users in the event of a collision. Based on this reasoning, the report states that more small and medium cars have a better overall crashworthiness result.
Furthermore, the age of the car was a very influential factor, with cars built before 1995 dominating the worst performing list. "This highlights the gains in car safety made in recent years and is important to consider for your next car purchase," reads a statement from the report.
UCSR rates the following as some of the safest second hand cars in 2009, along with an average starting price:
Small
Ford Focus 05-07 (From $8K)
Chrysler Neon 96-99 (From $2K)
Peugeot 307 01-07 (From $6.5K)
Medium
Honda Accord Euro (From $15K)
VW Passat 98-06 (From$5K)
SAAB 9-3 94-02 (From $5K)
Subaru Liberty 03-07 (From $9.5K)
Mazda 6 02-07 (From $9.5K)
Commercial Van
Ford Transit 01-07 (From $6.5K)
Compact 4WD
Honda CRV 02-07 (From $8K)
Subaru Forester 97-02 (From $5K)
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