Small cars now 'safer'

By transport correspondent Simon Montague

Small cars are becoming safer than ever, according to the latest crash test results carried out by the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP).

Click here to find out the star rating of all 20 cars tested - and to watch crash test video for each car.

Seven out of the 20 superminis which were put through crashworthiness tests emerged with four stars out of a possible five-star rating.

But the top two sellers in the UK so far this year were not among the safest, according to Euro NCAP.

Best performer

Both the Ford Fiesta and the Vauxhall Corsa achieved only three stars. The safest cars did include the UK's third and fourth biggest sellers, the Peugeot 206 and Renault Clio.

The best performer of all was the Toyota Yaris, the UK's 11th most popular supermini this year. Euro NCAP said it had achieved the third best crash test score of any car since tests began in 1997 - "a significant engineering achievement for such a small vehicle".

The worst safety performer was the Fiat Seicento, followed by the Citroen Saxo and Nissan Micra.

Safety improvements

Max Mosley, chairman of Euro NCAP, said the front and side impact crashworthiness of superminis had improved considerably.

"Superminis were the first cars tested when Euro NCAP began in 1997. Unfortunately, not one of the cars we tested then achieved a four star rating."

Euro NCAP says that an independent Swedish study has revealed a correlation between its crash test ratings and real life accidents.

The study showed that the risk of fatal or serious injury decreased by 12% per star awarded.

"This confirms that by following Euro NCAP's star rating guide to safety, motorists can dramatically reduce the risk of sustaining fatal or serious injuries" said Max Mosley.

Pedestrians and children remain a worry. Standards of protection for pedestrians remained disappointing, although the Daihatsu Sirion, a small seller in the UK, became the first ever to achieve a three-star pedestrian safety rating.

Child safety concerns

Euro NCAP says crash test results on child safety seats have become an increasing cause for concern. Several examples of the latest generation, "ISOFIX"-designed child seats performed badly.

"The continued safety of our children, the most vulnerable of car passengers, must be addressed and we would encourage car manufacturers to examine our latest findings as a matter of urgency" said Max Mosley.

The Euro NCAP crash tests are supported by five European states - the UK, France, Germany, Netherlands and Sweden.

Some superminis including the Rover 25, Peugeot 106, Suzuki Swift and Mazda Demio, were not tested.