Tougher safety rules coming for new vehicles

South Africa’s car manufacturers are set for the stiffest safety regulation overhaul in a generation, in a move that will see laws changed to make it compulsory that new vehicles are fitted with airbags for all passengers — a requirement that could increase production costs.

This is part of the government’s plan to revise the minimum safety standards for all new passenger cars sold locally to bring them closer to international standards, with the new regulations potentially coming into effect as early as next year.

Another key regulatory change will see all new vehicles fitted with electronic stability control (ESC) — an active computer safety system that automatically brakes individual wheels and reduces engine power to prevent skidding and help drivers maintain control.

ESC is regarded as a big advance in vehicle safety, with road-safety research showing it can significantly reduce the risk of crashes caused by loss of control.

The European Commission proposed in 2011 that ESC should become mandatory in all new cars from 2012, as part of efforts to improve vehicle safety. ESC is regarded as one of the most effective vehicle safety technologies, after the seat belt, because it helps prevent vehicles from losing control and rolling.

The US followed suit, making ESC mandatory in new light passenger vehicles from 2012.

However, multinational domestic manufacturers have not been required to meet the same standards in South Africa, as local regulations have not kept pace with those in other parts of the world.

Bobby Ramagwede, CEO of the Automobile Association (AA), said the move to revise the minimum safety standards has been the subject of a decade-long campaign.

He said it was unfortunate that car manufacturers had waited for the South African government to revise domestic standards before introducing safety features already required in other jurisdictions.