There are a few white lies I’ll forgive in the car industry. Fuel consumption is one. You’ll almost never achieve the same figure as the manufacturer claims, in normal driving at least. Included equipment is another. Floor mats for free? Yeah right. Options lists? Just another way to gouge the customer. Acceleration times is another one. Unless you’re on a super-sticky drag strip using launch control and have no regard for mechanical sympathy, then it’s unlikely you’ll replicate that perfect 0-100km/h number. But there’s one thing that should never be glossed over: Safety. Despite the fact that most people know the BBC for the most-watched television programme in the world, Top Gear, it may be a revelation to know that it broadcasts other programmes as well. On BBC One, a show called Watchdog serves a useful purpose by dealing with consumer affairs. I know, it sounds quite dry, but here’s where things get interesting. It ran an investigation into vehicle safety, or more specifically, the claims surrounding vehicle safety. A man by the name of David Jenkins runs a high-end car rental company. After consulting with his local dealer, Mr Jenkins bought himself an Audi R8 for the fleet. One of the main points which clinched the sale was the fact that the R8 had a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating. Or so he was told. A few months after purchase, Mr Jenkins lent the car to his father, who subsequently had an accident. His father was fine, but it led Mr Jenkins to investigate the claims of the R8’s safety rating as advised by his dealer. His research uncovered the fact that the R8 had never been tested by Euro NCAP. He then rang Audi dealerships across the country. ““Forty-eight of the 50 dealers I spoke to told me directly that it had been put through the Euro NCAP programme and it had a five-star rating,” he told the BBC. Wow! The Watchdog programme then sent out undercover researchers who witnessed nine out of 10 dealers from around the UK making the same claims. In fact, apart from the R8, the A5, A7 and A8 have not been tested. That’s not to say they’re not safe cars, but telling fibs about safety is not something that comes as a result of a brain-fart. Whether it was a lack of training given to salespeople or a deliberate intent to mislead is beside the point – people buy cars based on how safe they are, particularly when we’re surrounded by morons on the road. To claim a car’s been tested when it hasn’t is simply inexcusable. The whole episode is just more evidence that when it comes to buying a car, relying on the face at the dealership just isn’t enough. If safety is a concern, then head to the Euro NCAP webpage. Not only are the ratings there with a full breakdown of what the test entailed, you can see videos of the crash tests. Safety information is too important to glean from a glossy sales brochure. Count up the airbags, check out the acronyms (ABS, EBD, ESC, etc.) and put together a picture in your mind of how well a car will hold up in an accident. After all, your life could depend on it.
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