Dacia Sandero

[Drago]

Well, the new model has a achieved a mighty 2 stars in Euro NCAP.

It was criticised for its poor characteristics in a collision, most particularly the damage it is liable to do to pedestrians and cyclists.

Think about that next time you feel like saving yourself a few quid, potentially at someone elses significant expense.

 

[Eric Olthwaite]

Why do the EU and the UK allow the sale of new cars with unacceptable safety standards?

 

[winjim]

Why do the EU and the UK allow the sale of new cars with unacceptable safety standards?

Two stars is two stars better than no stars.

 

[Drago]

Thats a fair question. Would they sell an electical item with a poor safety rating? Once again, i suspect its the culture of "the car can do no wrong, because we all own them ourselves, and it's sad that there are avoidable deaths but they're oh so convenient."

But then cult of the budget car in this manner of execution is an appalling one, putting cost ahead of safety, moving the minor extra expense away from the buyer and dumping it on society at large, where it becomes a considerable expense in terms of life and money.

As they say, you do the maths.

 

[Eric Olthwaite]

Two stars is two stars better than no stars.

Yes but safety is not like fuel economy or ride comfort. There should be an absolute minimum standard, and no buyer should have to feel they are making unacceptable choices on safety when buying a car that is legally offered for sale.

 

[Drago]

If people want to save money buy buying cars with poorly developed safety characteristics, then those few airbags that are fitted should be removed and refitted at the front of the car. Any money saving safety compromises should affect the occupants who choose to travel within it, not the innocent passers by.

Why should the safety of innocent bystanders be compromised so some tightwad can buy a cheap new car?

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Thats a fair question. Would they sell an electical item with a poor safety rating? Once again, i suspect its the culture of "the car can do no wrong, because we all own them ourselves, and it's sad that there are avoidable deaths but they're oh so convenient."

But then cult of the budget car in this manner of execution is an appalling one, putting cost ahead of safety, moving the minor extra expense away from the buyer and dumping it on society at large, where it becomes a considerable expense in terms of life and money.

As they say, you do the maths.

Its too easy to get about using a car, our infrastructure is set up for the car, I was without a car for many years, I managed to get about, but when I got my car I realized that being car free was restricting where I could get to, and it was often difficult to get to some places, If I take a trip to a nearby town, in the car its about half an hour, on the bus it takes over an hour and involves two buses, no wonder that people wont move away from there cars.

 

[Eric Olthwaite]

If people want to save money buy buying cars with poorly developed safety characteristics, then those few airbags that are fitted should be removed and refitted at the front of the car. Any money saving safety compromises should affect the occupants who choose to travel within it, not the innocent passers by.

That's easily done within the scoring system of any safety categorisation by prioritising features that protect third parties above features that protect the car's occupants.

 

[winjim]

Yes but safety is not like fuel economy or ride comfort. There should be an absolute minimum standard, and no buyer should have to feel they are making unacceptable choices on safety when buying a car that is legally offered for sale.

There is an absolute minimum. It's the equivalent of zero stars. Do remember that the star scale is regularly updated, so two stars now is not necessarily the same as two stars from several years ago.

I'm not saying that minimum standards don't need to be raised, but the star ratings are not necessarily a reflection of what those minimum ratings are, as I understand it they are there to facilitate consumer choice, with presumably the intended side effect of raising safety standards via market forces, as it were.

 

[Drago]

...with presumably the intended side effect of raising safety standards via market forces, as it were.

Or not, if you want budget wheels.

 

[winjim]

Or not, if you want budget wheels.

I guess part of it is the fact that you've just publicised the finding that it's a bit rubbish, so we're less likely to buy one and hopefully they'll try harder next time.

 

[Drago]

Perhaps models with external safety features below a certain standard should be forced to display a sign, front and rear, which reads, "I'm a tightwad, and place greater value on getting a cheap car than on the life and limb of those around me".

After all, visual markers such as 'green' number plates are supposed to encourage battery car sales, so the same technique must surely be able to discourage the sale of less safe vehicles?

 

[Bazzer]

Thats a fair question. Would they sell an electical item with a poor safety rating? Once again, i suspect its the culture of "the car can do no wrong, because we all own them ourselves, and it's sad that there are avoidable deaths but they're oh so convenient."

But then cult of the budget car in this manner of execution is an appalling one, putting cost ahead of safety, moving the minor extra expense away from the buyer and dumping it on society at large, where it becomes a considerable expense in terms of life and money.

As they say, you do the maths.

Ebay is awash with them. Chinese knock offs of branded goods, or other goods which can give you unexpected mains voltage.

Edited to add; viewers of Big Clive will no doubt recall the examples of the camping light which put mains voltage through a USB recharger, and garden floodlights which were either not earthed properly or not earthed at all.

 

[oldworld]

This wouldn't stop me buying one. Many people travel daily in cars from 10 years ago that would score badly using today's standard.
What would stop me buying one is it's based on a Renault.
Buy Japanese or German, doesn't matter if they are built elsewhere.

 

[Hacienda71]

Suspect SUVs are more likely to badly injure and kill pedestrians than a Sandero. People pay large sums for them rather than buying them as a cheap car out of necessity. Maybe it should be compulsory to have a sticker on the bonnet saying I am a tw4t.