Why Africans have zero chances of surviving a car crash. In most, unfortunately, cases Africa is used either as a testing ground or a dumping site for outdated tech.
On Tuesday, Global NCAP and AA South Africa released crash test results in the #SaferCarsForAfrica campaign that exposed an alarming double standard currently applied by Nissan and other automakers to vehicle safety in Africa.
In 2018, the Nissan NP300 tested by Global NCAP as part of the #SaferCarsForAfrica campaign received a zero-star safety rating.
This year in the first test of its kind crash test, Global NCAP crashed the pickup model, 2019 Nissan NP300 Hardbody, into a second-hand Nissan Navara NP300 manufactured in Europe in 2015.
Willem Groenewald, CEO of the Automobile Association of South Africa termed the difference in safety performance between the new African model and the second-hand European version as “worrying”
As per the report, the crash test driver dummy in the new African Nissan would have likely sustained fatal injuries whereas the driver of the equivalent second-hand European model would have likely walked away from the crash because it is fitted with the life-saving crash avoidance anti-skid system, Electronic Stability Control (ESC). The new African version lacks both of them. The vehicle structure collapsed and was found to be unstable during the test.
The high forces placed on the crash test driver dummy pose a significant risk of fatal injury. The NP300’s bodyshell was so unstable that the airbags were ineffective.
Here is the test—Video: Why Africans Have Zero Chances Of Surviving Car Crash
“This is a very dramatic car to car crash test which uniquely illustrates the double standard in vehicle safety performance between models sold in Europe and those sold in Africa. The difference in crashworthiness is extraordinary. The new Nissan Hardbody performs significantly worse than the second-hand Nissan Navara, to the extent that the driver in the new African Nissan would likely have died from their injuries but the driver from the second-hand European Nissan would have walked away.” David Ward CEO and President of Global NCAP said,
On his side, Willem Groenewald, CEO of the AA said, “These results are extremely worrying and point to a major deficiency in the quality of vehicles available in Africa. We have for a long time been concerned that vehicles available in Africa are inferior to those in other markets such as Europe and Asia, and these results seem to confirm that concern. What this car to car crash also demonstrates is a complete disdain for African vehicle consumers and their safety at the expense of profit. It also again highlights the need for stricter regulation of standards and tougher controls in terms of allowing these inferior vehicles on to African roads.”
This is why Africans have zero chances of surviving even a minor crash. In June, Parliament passed a law that banned the importation of cars manufactured earlier than 2003. The government says the cars emit toxic fumes into the atmosphere, which hurt the environment. The law took effect on October 1.
But nobody bothered to talk about how the country just like the rest of the continent is filled with vehicles that can’t even be used as a mechanical point of reference for the second generation automotive technology innovation.
