Batswana drivers of Volkswagen (VW) Polo, Toyota Etios, Datsun Go and the Ford Figo, might be pallbearers of their own mobile coffins.
Crash test results of these car models prove they offer meagre airbag protection during accidents yet the Department of Road Transport and Safety (DRTS) has still to respond to a questionnaire sent out by The Telegraph.
The paper is yet to also confirm exactly how many Ford Figos, VW Polo and Datsun Gos are being driven in the country.
To be more precise, we sought to know how many accidents have these cars occasioned since last year. The questionnaire also sought to understand whether or not the DRTS has guidelines on safety specifications for vehicles to be used in Botswana and to also advise Batswana before purchasing certain cars.
One of the world’s leading independent vehicle safety advocates, The Global New Car Assessment Programme (Global NCAP) conducts crash tests of vehicles to determine their overall safety in the event of an accident.
For example, a VW Polo, which observation tells is being driven in Botswana, has no airbags. For its overall ability to protect an adult driving at 64 km/h, out of 5 stars, the car got zero. Travelling at the same speed when an accident happens, this time with a child, the VW Polo got three stars.
Further information from the crash test results revealed that the VW Polo offers poor protection to the head and the chest. Protection at the neck is weak, and the thighs marginal. The only part of the body which gets good protection is the legs of the driver. For the front passenger, good protection to the head is offered in case of an accident. for the chest, there is adequate protection. However, the left leg of a passenger will receive adequate protection, whereases the right leg gets good protection.
The Global NCAP concluded that for adult occupants, “the protection offered to the driver’s head was poor due to the hard contact with the steering wheel and for this reason the star capping was applied. Also, Diver’s neck received weak protection Driver’s chest protection was poor due to its high compression, Passenger’s head protection was good, and its chest protection was adequate. Both front passengers’ knees could impact with dangerous structures in the dashboard like the Tran fascia tube. The bodyshell was rated as stable and it can withstand further loading which is a critical baseline to add airbags.”
The child seat for the three-year-old child was able to prevent excessive forward movement during the impact and presented high chest decelerations. According to the Global NCAP, “the belted Child Restraint System (CRS) for the 11/2-year-old child was able to prevent excessive forward movement during the impact and protected adequately well the child. The installation instructions on both child seats were sufficient and permanently attached to the seat. This vehicle was not equipped with a passenger airbag.”
A closer look at the VW Polo revealed that the car does not have any safety equipment. From Front Seatbelt pre tensioners to driver frontal airbags.
Another car model driven in Botswana, the Datsun Go, also has a zero-star rating for the protection of the driver. “The protection offered to the driver’s head was poor due to the hard contact with the steering wheel and for this reason, the star capping was applied. The driver’s chest protection was poor due to its high compression, Passenger’s chest protection was adequate. Both front passengers’ knees could impact with dangerous structures in the dashboard like the Tran fascia tube. The bodyshell was rated as unstable,” the crash rest results read.
As for the child occupant, “the child seat for the three-year-old child was unable to prevent excessive forward movement during the impact. The dynamic performance of the child restraints was adequate. However, the installation instructions on both child seats were insufficient and not permanently attached to the seat. The recommended CRS showed incompatibilities with the belt system on the vehicle. This vehicle was not equipped with a passenger airbag.”
The Ford Figo, also seen in Botswana, scored a zero-star rating as well and two stars for child protection. The Global NCAP is convinced that the protection offered to the driver’s head was poor and for this reason, the star capping was applied. Driver’s and passenger’s chest protection was weak. According to the crash test results, “the passengers’ knees could impact with dangerous structures in the dashboard lie the Tran fascia tube. The bodyshell was rated as stable.”
The child seat for the three-year-old child was unable to prevent excessive forward movement during the impact. “The dynamic performance of the child restraints was adequate. However, the installation instructions on both child seats were insufficient and not permanently attached to the seat. The recommended CRS for the 3-year-old dummy was found to be incompatible with the belt system on the vehicle, while the CRS for the 18 months dummy was. This vehicle was not equipped with a passenger airbag.”
Offering what seems to be more protection than the previous car makes is the four-door hatchback Toyota Etios, with a four-star rating for driver protection. On child protection, the car scored two stars. Global NCAP findings on the Toyota was that “in the frontal impact the driver and passenger’s heads were both well protected by the airbags and seatbelts. Both seatbelts were equipped with pre-tensioners. There were hazardous structures in the area of the facia that could be impacted by the occupants’ knees. The structure was able to withstand further loadings.”
Furthermore, the child seat for the 1.5-year-old child was able to prevent excessive forward movement during the impact. “The three-year-old exceeded the forward excursion limit. The biomechanical limits of the child dummies were reached during the test. There is no possibility to disconnect the passenger airbag,” according to the crash test results.
All tests were done at each car moving at 64 km/h at the point of impact.
In a milestone moment for vehicle safety, India manufactured Mahindra XUV300 has become Global NCAP’s first five-star car in Africa.
Launched in 2011, Global NCAP is a programme of the United Kingdom registered charity the Towards Zero Foundation. Global NCAP serves as a platform for cooperation among NCAPs worldwide, providing financial, technical and advocacy support to new programmes in emerging markets.
