I had always imagined that, as a fairly developed country, we would be up there with the leaders of the latest developments in the car safety industry.
It has been reported by the RAC that only 55% of new cars sold have E.S.C fitted, otherwise known as Electronic Stability Control. (You will find that the vast majority of manufacturers refer to it as E.S.P, Electronic Stability Program). Figures from several other European countries, some you’d be surprised at, are into the late 60’s and 70’s.
To give you an idea of what this safety feature does, imagine the following;
You’re driving too fast around a corner and the car begins to slip. This is the point where E.S.C comes into play. The system senses the wheels slipping and possible over/understeer, reduces the engine power output, controls the amount of power given to each wheel independently and helps give you back control. All of this is done in a fraction of a second, thus reacting far faster than the normal driver would be able to compensate.
After researching one popular French Supermini, I found that you are able to add this feature, at the time of purchase for a mere £400. Not a lot when you consider it could save your life!
The implications of these shocking figures do not end there. Because of this poor safety statistic, it is thought that it may begin to affect the price of the average car insurance policy. A shocking statistic shows that only 8% of Superminis have this as a standard feature.
Think of this simple equation; New drivers (under 25) + Supermini (car of choice for this age group) + variables (more likely to have accident, as under 25) = Big problem.
The important thing to remember is; In Theory, the safer your car, the more likely you are to save money on your car insurance (taking into account engine size, trim, etc). If you can buy a car that has received a good European NCAP score (New car assessment programme) you should be able to land yourself with a cheap car insurance policy. Of course if you do buy the 2.5 litre sport model, you might find it just a little more expensive.