Give us a call
Talk to a friendly
member of staff.
Single-Car Insurance
0844 543 4416MultiCar Insurance
0844 848 4316
Talk to a friendly
member of staff.
Single-Car Insurance
0844 543 4416MultiCar Insurance
0844 848 4316
 |
|
Search our archive of Motoring news.
Search our archive of Motoring
news by date.
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
You can subscribe to receive the latest motoring news from Admiral with RSS.
 |
 |
|
27/11/2008
The front seats in four out of five new cars do not offer enough whiplash protection, according to tests by Euro NCAP.
In the safety body's first ever rear-impact whiplash tests, only five out of 25 cars tested in 2008 were awarded the top mark.
Cars rated as 'good' included the Alfa Romeo Mito, Audi A4, Vauxhall/Opel Insignia, Volkswagen Golf and Volvo XC60. Euro NCAP said that they offer a "state of the art performance" in whiplash protection.
However, the group said it was surprised by the low number of seats scoring well in the testing, and added that "most manufacturers still have a long way to go".
Twelve of the cars were rated as 'marginal', meaning they had some beneficial qualities but needed improvement.
Eight cars were given the 'poor' grade. According to Euro NCAP, their occupants have a significantly higher risk of sustaining long-term injury if involved in a low-speed rear collision.
Of the cars in this category, three - the Citroen C5, Ford Kuga and Peugeot 308CC - had received the highest five-star rating in current Euro NCAP adult-occupant tests. The body warned that, under tougher tests to be introduced from February 2009, low whiplash scores will affect the overall adult protection score.
Dr Michiel Van Ratingen, Euro NCAP secretary-general, said that the tests would cause manufacturers to think again about seat design.
"A consumer would never know how a seat would perform without this test," he added.
"Euro NCAP's new test will certainly encourage manufacturers to think again about seat design."
© 2011 Admiral | Sitemap | Contact Us | Your Privacy and Security
