‘A state-of-the-art sound system and leather seats won’t save your life in a crash,’ prospective car buyers in Victoria are being warned as part of a new safety campaign.
The Transport Accident Commission (TAC) ‘find a safer car in your budget’ initiative is urging anyone purchasing a new vehicle to prioritise safety features, in an effort to address the number of people dying in older vehicles.
The campaign aims to educate Victorians on the lifesaving benefits of advanced active safety features in new and used cars and showcases widely available vehicle safety features that buyers should consider, including auto-emergency braking (AEB), lane-keep assist (LKA), blind spot monitoring, electronic stability control (ESC), and front, side, and curtain airbags.
It comes as new figures reveal 56 of the 92 driver and passenger deaths on Victorian roads this year have been in crashes involving a vehicle aged ten years or older.
“Remember, a state-of-the-art sound system and leather seats won’t save your life in the event of a crash but having advanced safety features can truly be the difference between life and death,” said TAC CEO Joe Calafiore.
The TAC said AEB had been estimated to reduce rear-end crashes resulting in fatal and serious injuries by 27 percent, while LKA is estimated to reduce run-off-road and head-on crashes resulting in fatality or serious injury by 22 percent.
The TAC campaign highlights how new and used vehicles at similar price points can have varying levels of safety technology included as standard, and encourages people to visit the TAC’s How Safe Is Your Car website to search the safety rating of vehicles by budget or registration number.
