New car safety technologies 'can save lives'

Date: 26/8/2010

New and safer vehicles are saving lives on the road and consumers need to be aware of the benefits they offer.

That is the view of Adrian Walsh, director of RoadSafe, who was commenting on the maximum five-star rating achieved by the latest cars crash tested by the European New Car Assessment Programme.

"Manufacturers are continuing to take a lead in making safety a priority," he said.

Mr Walsh noted the fall in road fatalities of 16 per cent between 2008 and 2009, which he claimed the Department for Transport largely attributes to new and safer vehicles.

"To maintain this decline we need to help consumers realise the life-saving potential of the latest safety technologies," he remarked.

Earlier this month, research conducted by insurer AXA estimated road rage is taking hundreds of lives each year, as 35 per cent of drivers involved in serious accidents were made angry or frightened by another motorist moments before the incident.

Posted by Sarah Bailey