Ute and van safety under the spotlight

The race is on to find the first five-star commercial vehicle for crash safety.

Australia's independent authority says it will increase its focus on utes and vans, given their increasing prevalence on our roads -- and greater risk for deaths and serious injuries.

The safety of passenger vehicles has improved markedly in the past two decades but the safety of utes and vans lags well behind.

This is because, inexplicably, various governments around the world -- including Australia -- have less stringent safety standards for commercial vehicles.

"Ute and van drivers don't deserve to be treated like second-class citizens," says NRMA Insurance research manager and ANCAP member, Robert McDonald.

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) this week issued a statement urging fleet managers to consider their responsibilities under State and Federal Occupational Health and Safety regulations to ensure they are providing a safe workplace, by choosing a safe vehicle for their employees who drive for work.

"Light commercial vehicles aren't required to meet the same Australian vehicle safety regulations as cars, and this shows up in ANCAP rating results," says ANCAP chairman Lauchlan McIntosh.

"Real-world accident statistics show the risk of serious or fatal injury is halved in a 4 or 5-star vehicle compared with a 1 or 2-star-rated vehicle.

"This means that one in every two fatalities in a poorly performing van could be prevented if the occupant had been in a 4 or 5-star vehicle."

Most commercial vehicles tested by ANCAP in Australia have a rating of three stars or lower -- rated as "marginal" or "poor" for crash safety.

Only four vans score an "acceptable" rating of four stars, including the Mercedes-Benz Vito, Volkswagen Transporter, Volkswagen Caddy and Hyundai iLoad.

Australia's biggest selling van, the Toyota Hiace, only scores three stars and, incredibly, a basic safety feature such as anti-lock brakes is an option across all models, according to the brochure information on Toyota's public website at the time this article was published.

Significantly, however, only one of the four-star vans is capable of achieving a five-star rating -- the Mercedes-Benz Vito, which scored a "high" four star score of 30.7 out of 35.

If the Vito were to score a full two points in a side impact pole test when equipped with the optional side airbag, it could become the world's first five-star light commercial vehicle.

The Hyundai iLoad, which scored four stars last month, only just scraped through to a "low" four-star rating with a score of 25.8, so it is unlikely it will gain a five-star rating even if equipped with side airbags. The two points it could gain from the pole test would still bring its score up short.

With this in mind, does the ANCAP requirement diminish Hyundai's motivation to fit side airbags? Not so, says Hyundai Australia general manager, marketing, Oliver Mann.

"The fact that a vehicle might not achieve a higher star rating would not preclude us from fitting the latest safety technology," he told the Carsales Network.

ANCAP technical manager Michael Paine said a side airbag would make the iLoad safer, but there were other issues possibly holding the iLoad back from a five star score.

"It was great to get a van to four stars," he said. "And the iLoad did relatively well at reducing the risk of lower leg injury. Hyundai has done relatively well in the footwell area, there was little deformation, and it was better than most other vans we've tested.

"But the seatbelt system, although it has pre-tensioners, doesn't seem as advanced as it is on Hyundai passenger cars and this may have led to the poorer score in upper body injuries."

Mr Paine said utes and vans will come under tougher scrutiny by ANCAP in the coming years.

"There is ample evidence to show that commercial vehicle safety has a long way to go," he said. "We hope that as soon as one manufacturer gains five stars then the others will want to follow suit."

The safest utes on the market are the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon, because they are car-derived.

However, neither scores five stars for various reasons.

The Falcon ute does not have stability control or side airbags as standard; if both of these items were fitted as optional extras there is a chance the latest model Falcon ute could score a five-star rating, the same as its sedan counterpart.

The Commodore is in a trickier situation. Stability control is standard, but the Commodore ute is not yet available with side or curtain airbags.

Side and curtain airbags were developed for the Pontiac version of the Commodore ute, but it is unclear whether development on the extra airbags stopped once the Pontiac ute export deal folded.

Of the body-on-frame imported utes, only the four-star Toyota Hilux could possibly make the grade to five-stars -- but it would require some serious engineering work.

The Hilux earned a score of 27 out of 35, but if the Hilux had a driver's knee airbag, a seatbelt reminder warning light, side airbags and stability control, then it might earn a five star rating.

Selected models in the Hilux range are expected to get side airbags, but the other changes are not imminent.

The other four-star body-on-frame ute, the Mitsubishi Triton, scored a "low" 25 out of 35, and so even with numerous changes is unlikely to reach a five-star rating in this model cycle. This is despite the fact that Mitsubishi has announced this week that selected models in the Triton range are about to be available with stability control, side and curtain airbags.

See how your ute or van rates; go to www.ancap.com.au

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