Consumers International joins #STOPTHECRASH partnership

18 January 2016

Consumers International (CI) has today joined the #STOPTHECRASH partnership led by Global NCAP, calling for key crash avoidance technologies to be fitted as standard in all new cars and motorcycles, to help reduce the 1.25 million deaths that occur every year from road crashes around the world.

The #STOPTHECRASH partnership will address crash avoidances and car safety, urging both manufacturers and governments to uphold standard regulations. 

In particular, we’re calling on UN Member States, especially those with significant vehicle production, to adopt the key minimum UN safety regulations immediately to ensure that car safety technologies are installed in all new modules produced by the end of the UN Decade. 

The safety technologies prioritised by #STOPTHECRASH for mandatory inclusion are:

  • Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
  • Autonomous Emergency Braking 
  • Anti-Lock Brakes for Motorcycles 

Widely available in advanced economies for many years, these technologies are proven to save lives.

Electronic Stability Control in particular is considered to be the most important vehicle safety development since the seat belt. Seventeen case studies between 2001 and 2007 have shown ESC to be highly effective in avoiding single vehicle crashes by approximately 30%.

However, most vehicles produced in low and middle income countries still lack the most basic safety features. Global NCAP believes that the current ESC global fitment rate of just over 60% of new passenger cars and light duty vehicles is too low and wants this to be raised to 100% by 2020.

David Ward, Secretary General of Global NCAP said:

“We are delightedthat Consumers International, the global voice of consumers, has joined the #STOPTHECRASH partnership. Consumer understanding and support for better safety regulation of vehicles is essential as is consumer pressure on car manufacturers to make available these life-saving technologies in all their markets - at a reasonable price.” 

Amanda Long, Director General of Consumers International said:

“We are very excited to join the #STOPTHECRASH partnership with Global NCAP. The partnership’s advocacy campaign focuses on three essential crash avoidance technologies which are available, proven and inexpensive to equip. There is no reason for these technologies not to be fitted as standard by car manufacturers across the world today and it is shameful that it’s not already being done.

“Together with Global NCAP and our campaign partners we will work to ensure that by the end of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety in 2020, at the latest, these technologies are made available to consumers worldwide.”