Use the internet to obtain recent crash-safety ratings for passenger vehicles. T
ID: 355764 • Letter: U
Question
Use the internet to obtain recent crash-safety ratings for passenger vehicles. Then answer these questions: a. Which vehicles received the highest ratings? The lowest ratings? b. How important are crash-safety ratings to new car buyers? Does the degree of importance depend on the circumstances of the buyer? c. Which types of buyers would you expect to be the most concerned with crash-safety ratings? d. Are there other features of a new car that might sway a buyer from focusing solely on crash safety? If so, what might they be?Explanation / Answer
This is a good question which will give you an insight into the buyer's mind during the purchase of a new car. You will also appreciate how this mindset varies across geographies & countries.
a. We will follow the NCAP ratings. They follow a star method, with 5 stars being the safest and 0 star being the lowest rating in terms of safety. We must appreciate that there would be many cars which receive a 5 star rating, so it is not possible to list down one single model that is the safest in the world. Hence, we will look at one particular model which has received 5 stars: The Volkswagen Polo
Similarly, a car which received one of the worst ratings in terms of safety would be Fiat Punto, which has received zero stars
You can find the results on the Euro NCAP website.
b. The importance of crash tests depends completely on the type of market that the buyer is from, and also the buyer's mindset. Typically, in developed economies where the average per capita income is high, customers tend to make an informed choice and can afford to spend more on safety. Moreover, in countries where legal regulations are strict (example - U.S.), the automotive manufacturers will have to ensure they produce safe cars, otherwise they run the risk of being sued for millions of dollars.
However, if you move to developing economies, the average customer might be more interested in buying a more fuel efficient car rather than a safe car. This is because most of the buyers here invest a lot of their hard earned money on a car - this generally amounts to a sizeable chunk of their savings, and it marks a very important occassion in their lives. Hence, they might consider fuel efficiency over safety.
Hence, yes, it does depend on the circumstances of the buyer. Where he is from, what is his exact need, what is his income, all of these matter.
c. Buyers who realise that car safety is paramount, and it is worth spending a few thousands more on a car with safety features which can end up being the difference between life and death is bound to consider safety features over anything else. A well informed buyer who values his life/his family's life over a few thousand dollars is bound to consider safety features first. More informed the buyer, better will be the choice of vehicle in accordance with safety regulations.
It must be noted that in well regulated countries, most vehicles come with standard safety features.
d. Absolutely. You might have a variant of a car that has an In Car Entertainment system, rear spoiler, jazzy wheels - all of them a mere replacement for ABS and airbags (safety features). Now note that it is slightly expensive to incorporate these safety features in a car, as they also involve a fair bit of electronics. Hence, the cost of a car laden with safety features is bound to be higher than a car without safety features. A customer is bound to get swayed by a similar variant of a car with all the entertainment features but without safety, all for saving a few thousand dollars. A customer may also get swayed for factors such as higher fuel efficiency for which manufacturers use extremely light and box light structures which are unsafe. These are all highly incorrect decisions, and the buyer should always make an informed decision with safety as the first priority.
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