ABS to ESP, AFL to RPS, there's a lot of acronyms in the brochures when they start talking about vehicle safety, but what do they all mean? And what impact (pun intended) do they actually have on the safety of passengers when inside their cars?
“Safety is so much more prominent in vehicle designing than it has ever been historically, and huge investments have been made in the research and development of safety features.” explains Steve Goodchild, Dealer Principle of F.G. Barnes Vauxhall in Guildford. “It is an area that all car buyers should be putting high on their list of requirements when considering their next car purchase.”
Vehicle safety is tested by EuroNCAP (sorry, another acronym – European New Car Assessment Programme), which conducts a range of actual crashes under controlled conditions. The safety results are compiled into four categories: Adult Occupancy, Child Occupancy, Pedestrian and Safety Assist Features. Each area is graded as a percentage, and together they give a 'Star Rating' from 1 to 5.
“The safety features that you can expect to find on a new Vauxhall are in place to help reduce the risk of injury, so understanding how they work, and in what situations, can give greater peace of mind.” says Steve. Below, Steve has detailed the various ways a Vauxhall is designed to help protect you.
ABS – Anti-lock Braking System: This works by detecting when the car is entering a skid if the brakes are sharply applied. It will then apply varying pressures to ensure optimum braking capabilities. This allows you stop quicker and also steer whilst braking.
AFL – Adaptive Forward Lighting: The headlights can change their pattern to suit the location and the weather, sensing where you need the light most. They can also dip automatically if a car is coming the other way.
LED Daytime running light: An additional lighting system in the headlights of the car, which increases your visibility to other road users, without increasing your fuel consumption (unlike low beam).
Side Blind Spot Alert: Warns against a potential collision when changing lane.
ESP- Electronic Stability Programme: This detects situations where the car is out of control, and will apply the brakes to individual wheels to counter oversteer and understeer issues.
Airbags: Front, Side and curtain airbags deploy rapidly as a result of sensors being triggered during a collision.
Crumple Zones: The car will have intentional impact points built into the frame, which are designed to absorb the energy from an impact and reduce the chance of damage to the main cabin area.
Seatbelt pre-tensioners: In the event of sudden deceleration, the seatbelts will tighten, restricting the forward movement almost instantaneously. It does this as a result of sensors located in the vehicle, not just the seatbelt's own mechanism.
Pedal Release System: decouples the clutch and brake pedals in the event of a serious frontal accident. This reduces the risk of injury in the foot region.
Rear Parking Sensors: audible signals alert the driver if they are in close proximity to an object (or person) whilst reversing.
Active Head-restraints: these minimise the risk of a whiplash injury by changing position in the event of an impact to better support the head and neck.
Latest reports from EuroNCAP show that Vauxhall is achieving high standards in crash tests, with the Astra, Corsa, Meriva, Insignia, Ampera and Zafira all scoring 5-star ratings. Low insurance premiums can also be expected as a result of Vauxhall's advanced security systems and and smart new bumpers that minimise damage in low-speed impacts. That same engineering innovation is also reducing the risk of injury to pedestrians should an impact occur.
For further information on the full Vauxhall range and the features, please call F.G. Barnes Vauxhall on 08442 475 303, or visit the showroom on the Slyfield Industrial Estate, Guildford.
More information about EuroNCAP testing can be found by visiting www.euroncap.com .