A smashed Corolla hatch drives home the safety message in a South Australian car dealership.
The car, a hybrid, carries the brutal marks of a side pole crash test that replicates a run-off-road collision with a tree or pole.
Crashes involving a single vehicle hitting a fixed object are the most common crash type in South Australia, with this crash type representing 35 per cent of fatal crashes last year.
“Improvements have been made to reduce the number of lives lost on South Australia’s roads, but there is still a lot more to be done as any death on our roads is one too many,” Minister for Police & Emergency Services, Corey Wingard, said.
“Safety should be the priority whenever we take to the streets, and displays such as this help prioritise what’s important,” he said.
ANCAP Chief Executive, James Goodwin said none of us want to have a crash, but being in the newest, safest car you can afford can help reduce the risk and improve the outcome.
“Giving consumers the opportunity to see and sit in a car which has purposely been designed to protect makes the safety consideration real,” Mr Goodwin said.
This is the first time a South Australian new car dealership has put a crashed car on display.
“It is a vital tool in communicating the effects and benefits of safer cars,” RAA General Manager Government & Public Policy, Jayne Flaherty, said.
The crash-tested vehicle will remain on display at the dealership for the next few months.
- The national road death rate per 100,000 population is 4.60
- In South Australia, the road death rate per 100,000 sits above the national average at 5.11
- 80 lives were lost on South Australian roads in 2018
- 70 per cent of South Australian road fatalities occur on rural roads
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