VEHICLE SAFETY RATINGS DECODED

We’re all too familiar with the news cycle surrounding the Easter holidays. Government and road-traffic officials plead with motorists to avoid speeding, not to overtake unless it is safe to do so, and not to drink and drive. This is usually followed by announcements of an increase in active traffic policing, roadblocks and speed-limit enforcement.The result each year? Unfortunately, very little. Our official road death toll stubbornly remains between 12 500 to 14 000 deaths per year; the equivalent of approximately 23 deaths per 100 000 of the population! To put that into perspective, the road death rate across the whole of the US sits at 12 per 100 000 and Europe at nine deaths per 100 000 population.

With up to 85% of fatalities attributed to human factors, it’s clear the publicity and efforts of traffic authorities have had no meaningful impact on drivers’ attitudes and behaviour. It has, however, increased awareness of safety