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Beyond 50 Magazine
Drive Safe
Cars aren’t just about getting from A to B any more. Today, we expect cars to protect us and our environment. Beyond 50 asks car manufacturer Renault what they’re doing to get us there safely.
It’s one of those days where driving is such a pleasure that you forget you’re actually doing it. Your favourite CDs are playing, it’s made-for-holidays weather and the traffic is coasting up the highway. Then you glance in the rear-vision mirror.
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The driver behind you is talking on his mobile and tailgating. If he was any closer, he’d be a passenger in your back seat. You try to focus on the music, but you’re getting agitated. One of you might do something stupid at any minute.
Australian Transport Safety Bureau figures show 1611 people died on Australian roads in 2007. You can blame dodgy roads and poor drivers, but their threat to you depends on another factor: car safety technology. The figures from Renault Australia show that if we all drove the safest car in each class, the road toll could be reduced by 50 per cent.
Some old cars are obviously death traps but new cars, polished and mounted on displays in dealerships, all look pretty good. “When we talk about vehicle safety, most people respond with, ‘Aren’t all new cars safe?’” says Craig Smith, Renault Australia’s Communications Manager. “While there are no cars that are unsafe from the new car point of view, there are certainly cars that are safer than other cars.”
It can take over three years for legislation to pass to enable Australian design rule changes. So, while some strive to set new safety precedents, other manufacturers churn out cars at the low end of the safety scale until there is legislative intervention. Independent safety body Euro NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) was established to encourage the highest level of safety in all cars.
“The Euro NCAP body went out and started doing the test programs and published the results to give the public a good indication of safety performance,” says Mr Smith.
“Manufacturers have responded by making changes over and above the legislative requirements.”
To qualify for a five-star (maximum) rating in the Euro NCAP test, cars are tested on frontal impact protection, side impact protection, side impact head protection, child protection and pedestrian protection. In 2001, the Renault Laguna was first to achieve the maximum rating.
“There’s a huge difference from one car to another when it comes to vehicle safety,” explains Mr Smith.
The Victorian State Government’s Arrive Alive road safety strategy acknowledges this. Some of its key developments include mandatory electronic stability control (ESC) in all new cars built after 2010 and mandatory head protection technology – such as side-curtain airbags – in new cars after 2011.
According to Melissa Pye, CEO and founder of HerCar.com.au, a website providing car advice for women, safety becomes more important as we age.
“The average personal response time to unforeseen traffic incidents increases,” she explains. “Car technology such as ABS gives a driver steering control under heavy braking situations and can also have better stopping ability than a car without this technology. Also, our bones become more brittle. Safety technology provides occupants with greater protection in an accident and can reduce the risk of serious injury.”
Consumers are also showing an interest in environmental safety. “Global warming is becoming such a daily topic that everyone is looking at their impact on the environment,” says Mr Smith. “I think the over-50s market particularly is, because they’re a little more holistic in their approach to life and they’re really looking at the legacy that they’ll leave the next generation. I think once you’re in that 50-plus bracket, with any luck, you’re in a better financial position and you can start to make some choices on a car’s quality, environmental impact and all sorts of factors.”
Renault’s new Laguna manages to have a high level of torque without guzzling the fuel that high torque cars often do. Improving the environmental performance of cars is the single greatest challenge for the car industry globally, says Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries Chief Executive Andrew McKellar.
“There is a whole range of different options there, which I would envisage coming into play – things like the advancement of diesel technology. The range of hybrid vehicles amongst us is still quite limited, but we’ll see hybrid technology continue to develop. Advances in battery technology are now occurring quite significantly and I think that will offer advances in terms of the prospects of electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles.”
In safe hands
Renault’s new Laguna is one of eight Renault models to score the maximum five-star Euro NCAP rating – no other manufacturer has achieved so many – after earning 36 from a possible 37 points in tests earlier this year. Renault invests over $150 million annually in researching safety improvements.
Corrective safety features
- Anti-lock brake system (ABS): Stops brakes from skidding and enables you to steer while braking hard
- Electronic stability programs (ESP): Measures when the car is becoming unstable and brings it back into control by modifying steering and braking for a 35 per cent reduction in single vehicle collisions.
Preventative safety features
- Satellite audio controls: enables you to adjust the radio and volume while keeping your hands on the wheel
- Automatic headlights and wipers
- Cruise control with speed limiter
- Electronic park-brake.
Protective safety features
- Front airbags
- Side airbags
- Curtain airbags: reduce serious head injuries by up to 50 per cent
- Anti-submarining airbags
- Seatbelt pre-tensioners and load limiters.
Ecological features
- Two-litre turbo charged diesel: A small diesel engine can produce about the same amount of torque as a large six-cylinder engine. The new Laguna can produce more torque than a 3.5 litre Commodore
- The new Laguna will travel about 1000km per tank
- The new Laguna will travel about 1000km per tank
- Co2 – 207g/km: produces slightly more Co2 than a standard two-litre petrol engine but produces a lot more power and performance.
For further information about the new Laguna and your local dealer, please call 1800 009 008 or visit www.renault.com.au