To the end of April this year, accidents involving drivers ged between 17 and 25 accounted for almost a quarter of all total accidents. According to the road deaths database, of the 537 fatal accidents that involved motorbikes or cars, 130 were in that age bracket.
While these statistics are not as extreme as they have been in the recent years, 25 per cent of fatalities being in this age groups is still of concern, especially for parents who want to put their children in the safest cars possible without spending a fortune.
The good thing for motorists is that due to government regulations, and a strong push by OH&S, car makers have been under pressure to improve the level of standard safety equipment in their cars and offer technologies that can help avoid crashes altogether. There are now a number of five-star cars on sale in Australia priced from less than $20,000. This gives parents more reassurance that if their son or daughter does get into trouble, he or she is protected by some of the latest safety technologies.
We've chosen three popular 'light' cars – all with starting prices under $20,000 – that have top safety equipment and five-star ANCAP safety ratings.
MAZDA2
Of our three littlies, Mazda's baby 2 scored the highest in ANCAP crash testing and has the cheapest optional advanced safety systems, and starting price tag, of the three. It's good to note that the only colour Mazda charges for is red ($250).
When Mazda released the updated Mazda2 hatch in October 2014 it increased standard safety gear across the range. The highlight is collision avoidance technology – autonomous braking usually reserved for more expensive cars – available as an option across the range. Mazda calls this technology Smart City Brake Support (SCBS). This system will automatically apply the brakes if it senses that a crash is imminent. If the speed is too high it won't prevent a crash, but it will reduce the severity of the impact. It is an option but at only $400 we'd suggest it's a worthwhile box to tick.
Priced from: $14,990 (plus on road costs). Red paint adds $250.
ANCAP crash rating: 5 stars (score: 36.35/37).
Standard safety:
• Front SRS Airbags (driver and passenger)
•Side SRS Airbags (front)
•Curtain airbags (front and rear)
•Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
•Dynamic stability control (DSC)
•Electronic brake force distribution (EBD)
•Emergency brake assist (EBA)
•Seat-belts (front) with pre-tensioners and load-limiters
•Whiplash-minimising front seats
•Rear parking sensors
Optional safety:
• Rear (mirror-integrated) camera is $778.38.
• Smart City Brake Support (SCBS): $400 on all models.
TOYOTA YARIS
Toyota also upgraded its city car, the Yaris, in 2014 with exterior and interior styling tweaks, more equipment (cruise control across the range), improved its driving dynamics with a stiffer body and retuned suspension and a new line-up that only consists of a five-door hatch and a four-door sedan.
Along with these changes, all models gained a rear camera as standard safety equipment as well as automatic flashing of the hazard lamps under emergency braking.
Priced from: $15,690 (plus on road costs). Some colours add $435.
ANCAP crash rating: 5 stars (score: 34.41/37).
Standard safety:
•Front SRS airbags (driver and passenger)
•Side SRS airbags (front)
•Curtain airbags (front and rear)
•Driver's knee airbag (hatch only)
•Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
•Vehicle stability control (VSC) including traction control
•Electronic brake force distribution (EBD)
•Emergency brake assist (EBA)
•Front seatbelt pre-tensioners and force limiters
•Whiplash injury lessening (WIL) seats: help to minimise a whiplash injury in an accident.
•Emergency Brake Signal: If the driver brakes suddenly, the Emergency Brake Signal is automatically activated and flashes the car's hazard warning lamps to warn motorists behind.
•Rear camera
Optional Safety:
• N/A
VOLKSWAGEN POLO
The Volkswagen Polo was also updated in 2014. The focus of the latest Polo was mechanical improvements, with changes to spec levels and exterior design kept to a minimum. Already equipped with all the standard safety equipment you'd expect, the highlight was the introduction of Volkswagen's multi-collision brake system (as seen on the latest Golf). This system applies the Polo's brakes and keeps them applied after a collision, reducing the vehicle's potential to roll into oncoming traffic or another vehicle.
Buyers can further option the Polo Comfortline with a Driver Comfort Package that includes adaptive cruise control and an extension of the multi-collision brake system called Front Assist Ambient Traffic Monitoring. A feature of the system is City Emergency Braking. The system uses a radar sensor mounted at the front of the vehicle to monitor space ahead. If the driver doesn't react to an impending collision with a vehicle in front, the system can apply braking from 30km/h and under to reduce the severity of the impact. This is a great system but is disappointing that it can't be optioned on any of the other models.
Priced from: $16,490 (plus on road costs). Metallic paint $500.
ANCAP crash rating: 5 stars (score: 34.96/37).
Standard safety:
•Front SRS airbags (driver and passenger)
•Side SRS airbags (front)
•Curtain airbags (front and rear)
•Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
•Vehicle stability control (VSC) including traction control
•Electronic brake force distribution (EBD)
•Emergency brake assist (EBA)
•Electronic differential lock
•Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
•Front seatbelt pre-tensioners and force limiters
•Safety optimised front head restraints: designed to reduce whiplash injury
•Automatic flashing brake lights activated in emergency braking situation
•Multi-collision brake: acts to reduce a secondary accident by triggering automatic (emergency) braking once an initial impact has been detected. In doing so, it reduces the risk of possible follow-on accidents
•Rear camera
Optional safety:
•Front Assist Ambient Traffic monitoring including City Emergency Braking (Comfortline only)
Can't afford to buy new?
If $20,000 is more than you want to spend, NRMA's Used Car Safety Ratings features safety ratings for a range of cars built between 1996 and 2012. This comprehensive buyer's guide gives safety ratings for 227 vehicles covering most of the popular vehicles in Australian and New Zealand fleets.
While these statistics are not as extreme as they have been in the recent years, 25 per cent of fatalities being in this age groups is still of concern, especially for parents who want to put their children in the safest cars possible without spending a fortune.
The good thing for motorists is that due to government regulations, and a strong push by OH&S, car makers have been under pressure to improve the level of standard safety equipment in their cars and offer technologies that can help avoid crashes altogether. There are now a number of five-star cars on sale in Australia priced from less than $20,000. This gives parents more reassurance that if their son or daughter does get into trouble, he or she is protected by some of the latest safety technologies.
We've chosen three popular 'light' cars – all with starting prices under $20,000 – that have top safety equipment and five-star ANCAP safety ratings.
MAZDA2
Of our three littlies, Mazda's baby 2 scored the highest in ANCAP crash testing and has the cheapest optional advanced safety systems, and starting price tag, of the three. It's good to note that the only colour Mazda charges for is red ($250).
When Mazda released the updated Mazda2 hatch in October 2014 it increased standard safety gear across the range. The highlight is collision avoidance technology – autonomous braking usually reserved for more expensive cars – available as an option across the range. Mazda calls this technology Smart City Brake Support (SCBS). This system will automatically apply the brakes if it senses that a crash is imminent. If the speed is too high it won't prevent a crash, but it will reduce the severity of the impact. It is an option but at only $400 we'd suggest it's a worthwhile box to tick.
Priced from: $14,990 (plus on road costs). Red paint adds $250.
ANCAP crash rating: 5 stars (score: 36.35/37).
Standard safety:
• Front SRS Airbags (driver and passenger)
•Side SRS Airbags (front)
•Curtain airbags (front and rear)
•Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
•Dynamic stability control (DSC)
•Electronic brake force distribution (EBD)
•Emergency brake assist (EBA)
•Seat-belts (front) with pre-tensioners and load-limiters
•Whiplash-minimising front seats
•Rear parking sensors
Optional safety:
• Rear (mirror-integrated) camera is $778.38.
• Smart City Brake Support (SCBS): $400 on all models.
TOYOTA YARIS
Toyota also upgraded its city car, the Yaris, in 2014 with exterior and interior styling tweaks, more equipment (cruise control across the range), improved its driving dynamics with a stiffer body and retuned suspension and a new line-up that only consists of a five-door hatch and a four-door sedan.Along with these changes, all models gained a rear camera as standard safety equipment as well as automatic flashing of the hazard lamps under emergency braking.
Priced from: $15,690 (plus on road costs). Some colours add $435.
ANCAP crash rating: 5 stars (score: 34.41/37).
Standard safety:
•Front SRS airbags (driver and passenger)
•Side SRS airbags (front)
•Curtain airbags (front and rear)
•Driver's knee airbag (hatch only)
•Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
•Vehicle stability control (VSC) including traction control
•Electronic brake force distribution (EBD)
•Emergency brake assist (EBA)
•Front seatbelt pre-tensioners and force limiters
•Whiplash injury lessening (WIL) seats: help to minimise a whiplash injury in an accident.
•Emergency Brake Signal: If the driver brakes suddenly, the Emergency Brake Signal is automatically activated and flashes the car's hazard warning lamps to warn motorists behind.
•Rear camera
Optional Safety:
• N/A
VOLKSWAGEN POLO
The Volkswagen Polo was also updated in 2014. The focus of the latest Polo was mechanical improvements, with changes to spec levels and exterior design kept to a minimum. Already equipped with all the standard safety equipment you'd expect, the highlight was the introduction of Volkswagen's multi-collision brake system (as seen on the latest Golf). This system applies the Polo's brakes and keeps them applied after a collision, reducing the vehicle's potential to roll into oncoming traffic or another vehicle.Buyers can further option the Polo Comfortline with a Driver Comfort Package that includes adaptive cruise control and an extension of the multi-collision brake system called Front Assist Ambient Traffic Monitoring. A feature of the system is City Emergency Braking. The system uses a radar sensor mounted at the front of the vehicle to monitor space ahead. If the driver doesn't react to an impending collision with a vehicle in front, the system can apply braking from 30km/h and under to reduce the severity of the impact. This is a great system but is disappointing that it can't be optioned on any of the other models.
Priced from: $16,490 (plus on road costs). Metallic paint $500.
ANCAP crash rating: 5 stars (score: 34.96/37).
Standard safety:
•Front SRS airbags (driver and passenger)
•Side SRS airbags (front)
•Curtain airbags (front and rear)
•Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
•Vehicle stability control (VSC) including traction control
•Electronic brake force distribution (EBD)
•Emergency brake assist (EBA)
•Electronic differential lock
•Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
•Front seatbelt pre-tensioners and force limiters
•Safety optimised front head restraints: designed to reduce whiplash injury
•Automatic flashing brake lights activated in emergency braking situation
•Multi-collision brake: acts to reduce a secondary accident by triggering automatic (emergency) braking once an initial impact has been detected. In doing so, it reduces the risk of possible follow-on accidents
•Rear camera
Optional safety:
•Front Assist Ambient Traffic monitoring including City Emergency Braking (Comfortline only)
Can't afford to buy new?
If $20,000 is more than you want to spend, NRMA's Used Car Safety Ratings features safety ratings for a range of cars built between 1996 and 2012. This comprehensive buyer's guide gives safety ratings for 227 vehicles covering most of the popular vehicles in Australian and New Zealand fleets.