Ute and van drivers treated as 'second-class citizens': expert

The Federal Government believes the lives of one in five drivers are not worth saving. That's one interpretation of the recent announcement that stability control will be mandatory on all new passenger cars -- but not commercial utes and vans -- after November 2013.

Commercial vehicles account for almost one in five new vehicles sold. Yet the technology that's said to be the biggest automotive advancement since the seatbelt will only be compulsory on passenger cars, softroaders and four-wheel-drive wagons.

This means the canyon between the safety requirements for cars and utes will remain -- despite a recommendation by the Federal Government 13 years ago that the safety standards for utes and vans be brought into line with, or more closely aligned to, the safety standards for passenger cars.

Stability control is recognized as a vital part of a vehicle's active safety suite. It can prevent a skid by automatically applying the brakes and/or cutting engine power if a vehicle swerves suddenly or is travelling too fast in a corner.

"We welcome the move to make stability control compulsory on passenger cars, but it is disappointing that commercial utes and vans are unaddressed," Robert McDonald, the research manager for NRMA Insurance and ANCAP representative told the Carsales Network.

"It would be good if they [the Federal Government] could complete the job and apply the same safety standards to commercial vehicles. Ute and van drivers don't deserve to be treated like second-class citizens."

McDonald added: "The irony is that utes, because of their uneven loads and high centre of gravity, are more likely to be involved in a rollover collision, and yet none are currently available with side curtain airbags and stability control. If there is one vehicle type that would benefit most from curtain airbags and stability control, it is utes.

"Utes and vans also often travel with light loads and have basic rear suspension, so they're [also] prone to oversteer [a rear-wheel skid]."

A report by the then Federal Office of Road Safety published in 1996 said in part: "Utilities are not currently subject to the full set of Australian Design Rules that apply to passenger cars and their derivatives."

Passenger cars must provide adequate occupant protection in a crash into an offset barrier at 56km/h, utilities crash into a flat barrier at 48km/h. Crashing into an offset barrier is a more severe test of a vehicle's crash worthiness because all the energy of the impact must be absorbed by only half the car. Crashing into a flat barrier means utilities have the full width of the vehicle to help absorb the impact.

In a chilling forecast, the 1996 FORS report also said: "Given the increasing use of... utilities for private use as alternatives to passenger cars, it could be argued that they should also be expected to provide similar levels of occupant protection as passenger cars. Thus, a strong case is mounted for [such] vehicles to be similarly regulated. In particular they should at least be required to meet the new dynamic frontal crash performance requirement, as well as side impact regulations."

Apart from the car-derived Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore utes (which do have passenger-car levels of crash protection), only a handful of commercial vehicles are available with stability control. Examples include the Hyundai iLoad, Volkswagen Transporter and Mercedes-Benz Vito van (pictured).

McDonald also questioned why the deadline was so far out when the technology is readily available.

All new cars introduced in Australia after November 2011 must have stability control, while new cars on sale before that date have until November 2013 to be equipped with stability control.

"There wouldn't be many cars being developed today that don't already have the capability to have stability control, it's just that the carmakers choose to fit the technology to some models in some countries and not others," McDonald said.

The Chief Executive of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), Andrew McKellar, admitted "additional work" will be needed to bring ute and van safety into line with cars.

"There are some light commercial vehicles already on the market that have [stability control] available, but additional work in this area will be needed," he said in a drafted response to questions from the Carsales Network.

"The industry will work with the Federal Government to identify a timetable for this work and for its successful implementation."

Figures supplied by the FCAI show a dramatic increase in the sales of cars, softroaders and 4WD wagons with stability control. In 2006, just 20 per cent of vehicles of these types sold had stability control; in 2007 the figure grew to 35 per cent; and last year the tally eclipsed the half way mark (53.5 per cent). So far this year, 65 per cent of passenger cars, softroaders and 4WD wagons have stability control.

Despite this high percentage of 'cover' a significant number of popular models are still to be offered with stability control -- even as an option. Indeed three popular passenger cars which, because of their budget price are designed to appeal to novice drivers, remain without even the most basic of safety systems, anti-lock brakes as standard. They are the base model Hyundai Getz, base model Holden Barina and base model Kia Rio.

Anti-lock brakes are compulsory in most developed overseas markets.

McKellar defended the Federal Government's deadline for the introduction of stability control and said it was being made compulsory in Australia ahead of some large overseas markets.

"In fact [it] comes into effect one year earlier than in Europe," he said.

Meanwhile, one luxury car manufacturer has taken a swipe at the Federal Government for "unfairly taxing" the companies that introduced "this life-saving technology".

BMW Australia spokesman Toni Andreevski told local media at a conference last week: "The reality is that any sensible automotive engineer could make the case that the majority of the reduction in road trauma has occurred because of innovations that make cars safer.

"But the Federal Government ... charges customers an excessive luxury tax on the basis that they're buying a very expensive vehicle. And yet those very customers bankrolled the technology ... that the government is now mandating should be on every car."

A list of vehicles available with ESC is on the FCAI website here.

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