Manufacturers 'not ready' for stricter road safety tests

Date: 26/8/2011

Some car manufacturers are not yet fully prepared for more stringent car safety requirements due to be enforced in 2012.

This is according to the latest set of crash test results from Euro NCAP, which revealed that the new Kia Picanto does not come with electronic stability control as standard - which the Secretary-General of the body said will be a requirement from next year.

Michiel van Ratingen noted that the proven safety benefits of this specification led to new legislation being introduced, adding: "Consumers should expect this critical safety equipment to be part of any offering, regardless of car size or price."

It was also found that the Citroen DS5, Audi A6 and the Opel Ampera only just meet the organisation's pedestrian requirements for a five-star rating for this year, but none would meet the level demanded in 2012.

This follows Sainsbury's Finance research revealing that driver behaviour has improved in the past 12 months, with just six per cent admitting to driving while on their mobile - down from 11 per cent in 2010.

Posted by Sarah Bailey