Looking through the media releases issued by AA New Zealand in recent months I was impressed by the initiatives that have been taken to improve motoring safety and services to drivers.
June 20 2006 - Vehicle buyers benefit from increasing safety standards
NEW vehicle tests
The latest round of Australasian crash test results has seen an encouragingly high standard of vehicle safety ratings, according to the AA and Land Transport New Zealand.
The Ford Territory, Toyota Yaris and Mitsubishi 380 all scored four stars out of a possible five in the latest Australasian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP) crash test results.
Several vehicles tested by the European New Car Assessment Programme (EuroNCAP) that are available in New Zealand scored five stars, including the Peugeot 407 Coupe, Renault Megane CC, Alfa Romeo 159 and the Toyota Yaris model variant with side curtain and knee airbags. The Nissan Pathfinder and Citroen C3 both scored four stars in EuroNCAP tests.
ANCAP and EuroNCAP crash test new vehicles to provide consumers with valuable information on the level of occupant protection the vehicles provide in a crash. Vehicles are assessed based on a five-star safety rating system.”
“The latest results show a positive standard of vehicle safety being adhered to. This is important for new vehicle buyers, who are increasingly looking at independent crash test ratings when deciding on a vehicle purchase,” says John White, Vehicles Manager for Land Transport New Zealand.
The AA and LTNZ are both members of ANCAP. Detailed crash test results are available on: www.aa.co.nz and www.landtransport.govt.nz .
27 June 2006 - Latest USED car safety ratings released
Buyers of used cars can now check the safety standard of over 300 popular vehicles, with the release of the 2006 Used Car Safety Ratings today.
The 2006 ratings are based on the latest information from the world’s largest database of real-life vehicle crashes, measuring the relative safety performance of used cars in over 1.7 million crashes on New Zealand and Australian roads from 1987 to 2004. Safety ratings have been calculated for 305 common makes and models. The ratings have been released by Land Transport NZ and the New Zealand Automobile Association (NZAA) in order to provide New Zealand motorists with the most up to date safety information available for used cars.
Ranging from small cars to 4WDs, the safety ratings of vehicles have been calculated using two criteria – driver protection and harm to other road users. The ratings show significant differences in crash performance between vehicles of a similar size and value.
“The Used Car Safety Ratings provide New Zealand motorists with the most up-to-date safety information available for used cars. Safety should be high on the priority list for used vehicle buyers, and as a large percentage of the New Zealand vehicle fleet is made up of used cars, we encourage buyers to take these ratings into account,” says John White, Land Transport NZ Vehicles Manager.
Of the 305 models assessed for driver protection, 35 vehicles were rated ‘much better than average’, 87 were ‘better than average’, 44 were ‘much worse than average’ and 77 were ‘worse than average’.
“Depending on what type of vehicle consumers wish to buy, they should ideally choose one of the best-rated vehicles in that particular category,“ says Stella Stocks, General Manager of AA Technical Services. “Vehicle safety ratings can only provide an indication of how much protection a certain type of vehicle can offer its occupants or how much harm it may potentially cause to other road users. Ultimately, whether or not you are seriously injured or killed in a crash also depends on how safely a vehicle is driven. The best protection is to drive safely and encourage other road users to also drive safely.”
The Used Car Safety Ratings analysis was conducted by researchers in Australia at Monash University Accident Research Centre. Data for the 2006 results assess vehicle models from 1982 to 2004.
Copies of the 2006 Used Car Safety Ratings booklet are available free at AA Centres nationwide. Booklets can also be ordered from any Land Transport office or by ringing 0800 699 000. Full results are also available on www.landtransport.govt.nz and www.aa.co.nz.
August 27 - AA Helps Stop Car Thieves in their Tracks
AA Vehicle Security
The AA is launching AA Vehicle Security to help combat the rising number of car thefts and to reassure motorists their vehicles are unlikely to be targeted next.
“Last year alone over 22,000 vehicles were reported stolen, with another 50,000 vehicles broken into throughout New Zealand. On average that means every seven minutes a car is stolen or damaged somewhere in the country due to theft,” says Jack Biddle, AA’s Technical Advice Manager.
“Vehicle theft in all forms is on the increase, and with the launch of AA Vehicle Security we want to impose a strong deterrent that will help stop car thieves in their tracks. The AA recognises it has a responsibility to all motorists and wants to help Kiwis protect what is, for most, their second most valuable asset.”
Car theft is also an increasing issue for Insurance companies, costing them a staggering $130million a year. In turn, these costs also hit the consumers, either through first hand experience of car theft or through increasing premiums to cover the loss.
“Whilst common sense is a factor that must always be applied to car security we certainly support any initiative that will assist car owners to reduce the risk of theft and deter opportunistic thieves,” says Chris Curtin, General Manager of AA Insurance.
“As a driving nation, vehicles are valuable assets for most New Zealanders. While the fitting of a security system is never a guarantee, evidence suggests that systems like this can reduce the chances of your vehicle being stolen. Insurance companies welcome anything that reduces the cost of claims as this will ultimately assist in keeping premiums lower for our customers,” says Mr Curtin.
AA Vehicle Security was established due to a partnership between the AA and Dynatron Security Systems, who have over 13 years of industry experience. An approved network of installers throughout the country ensures that each security system is fitted and will operate as it was designed.
Consumers need to be picky about the type of security their car has, as some systems act as nothing more than a deterrent, says Ron Campbell, Managing Director of Dynatron.
“With AA Vehicle Security we take it one step further giving motorists that peace of mind,” he says. “AA Vehicle Security is a ‘state-of-the-art’ electronic vehicle immobiliser and alarm system. It comes stock standard with not just one, but two immobilisers – one for the ignition and one for the fuel pump to keep petrol thieves away,” he says.
Of the 70,000-plus vehicles that were broken into or stolen last year just 10.8% of these thefts were solved, meaning there is only a one-in-nine chance of someone ever being charged.
“We can reassure motorists this is a trusted solution we have tried and tested personally, as the entire AA Roadservice fleet has been fitted with this security system for the past two years,” says the AA’s Jack Biddle.
October 11 2006 - Emissions-testing trial helps to improve standard of USED VEHICLE IMPORTS
The AA and a Japan-based inspection company JEVIC, have just completed an emissions-testing trial on over 3000 used vehicles bound for New Zealand.
Initiated by the Ministry of Transport, the trial means that vehicles are subject to an emissions tail pipe test before export to New Zealand.
Stella Stocks, General Manager of AA Technical Services, says the AA were keen to get involved in the trial to provide motorists with real information on the emissions standards of used imports, which will enable car buyers to make an informed choice when purchasing a used vehicle.
“Current rules only require vehicles imported into New Zealand to have been built to the emissions standards applied when that vehicle was first manufactured – it is not required for them to show whether they still meet these standards when they are registered here. Because of this there are varying opinions out there as to the overall emission standards of used vehicle imports coming into the country.”
“The actual emissions-testing trial we have undertaken will provide the Ministry of Transport with exact data on the emissions standards of Japanese imports.
“We believe this trial is a step to improving the overall quality of used vehicle imports coming into New Zealand. We support any initiative that improves the emissions of used vehicle imports – this provides motorists with the assurance their vehicle has met the relevant testing standards.”
Iain McGlinchy, Principal Adviser – Environment with the Ministry of Transport, says information from the trial data will help determine the future direction of any emissions-based policy.
“A lot of misconceptions exist as to the standard and quality of used vehicles being imported. Approximately 10,000 used vehicles are imported here each month so obviously we don’t want to bring junk into the country – we are pleased to see from preliminary results the number of vehicles that passed the emissions test.”
Data from the trial is currently being analysed by the Ministry of Transport.
“In the long term, this trial could assist with better running and performing vehicles being imported. This benefits both the environment and consumers”, he says.
In an effort to reduce vehicle emissions and clean up air quality, the Government has recently introduced the ‘visible smoke test’ to Warrant of Fitness inspections. Effective from October 27 – if a vehicle produces clearly visible smoke, repairs must be undertaken before it can go back on the road. The emissions test being used on imported vehicles in the trial is a more sophisticated test than the ‘visible smoke test’, as it can measure the invisible emissions as well as the visible ones.
Euan Philpot, JEVIC’s New Zealand Manager explains what the emission tests consist of: “petrol vehicles are subject to a tail pipe probe that measures the levels of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide emitted when the engine idles. Diesel vehicles are subject to a different test to measure levels of smoke and soot emitted under varying levels of load.”
“There is an advantage to the buyer in having the vehicle tested. If a vehicle fails it’s usually an indicator there is something wrong with the engine or exhaust catalyst,” he says.
Vehicles that passed the emissions test and meet an approved standard will feature an AA-JEVIC ‘Emissions Tested’ sticker on the right rear window. JEVIC and the AA have also been business partners in odometer inspections since 2004.
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