The new Citroën C6

Under the planned legislation, a company could be convicted of Corporate Manslaughter, if it grossly breaches its duty of care to maintain the proper standards of health and safety

The all-new Citroën C6 has become the first car in the history of the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) to be awarded the maximum rating for pedestrian protection. Citroën’s executive sector contender will go on sale in the first quarter of 2006 and is fitted with a potentially life-saving “active” bonnet that “pops up” to create a cushioning effect between the engine and the bonnet itself in the event of a crash with a pedestrian, thus helping to prevent serious injuries. During an accident, the lack of space between the bonnet and the engine increases the likelihood of a serious head injury for the pedestrian. In the C6, intelligent software automatically raises the bonnet by 65mm in the event of an accident to provide previously unavailable impact-absorbing space. The whole process takes less than 0.04 of a second.

It was the pop-up bonnet that helped the Citroën C6 to notch the top four-star rating for pedestrian safety. In addition, the model scored the top five stars for occupant protection and four stars for child protection, making it arguably the safest car on the road. Safety features on the C6 also include a head-up display, allowing drivers to keep their eyes on the road at all times, a lane departure warning system, xenon directional headlamps, active head restraints, nine airbags and ESP with traction control. Managing director of Citroën UK, Xavier Duchemin says: “These excellent results for the new C6 underline our commitment to safety – a fundamental value which is playing an increasingly important role in today’s Citroëns.”

Citroën is in a race with Jaguar – a similar feature is fitted to the all-new XK – to see who will be first into UK showrooms with a car fitted with a pop-up bonnet as both vehicles are scheduled to go on sale in the first quarter of 2006. They will be followed by the all-new Honda Legend, which will go on sale in summer 2006 and also features a pop-up bonnet (see manufacturers’ round-up). However, the Citroën is the only model of the three to have been tested by Euro NCAP so far. Euro NCAP has been pressing for better pedestrian protection for many years to try to drive down avoidable deaths and injuries to vulnerable road-users. The focus on improving pedestrian protection has come as more and more manufacturers achieve either a four or five-star rating for adult occupant protection.

Euro NCAP‘s latest announcement features the crash test results for 15 models and the Seat León was awarded three stars for pedestrian protection, reflecting the growing emphasis by some car manufacturers on pedestrian safety. However, all other models tested received either one or two stars, with the exception of the Jeep Grand Cherokee which was given a zero rating. Claes Tingvall, Euro NCAP chairman, says: “It is very gratifying that Citroën has achieved four stars for pedestrian protection. A few years ago, some manufacturers claimed that it was impossible. Now, it is clear that manufacturers who are committed to all-round safety can protect those outside the car without compromising the safety of those inside. “Citroën’s achievement is particularly clear, coming as it does in the same phase as a car that has scored no points for pedestrian protection. There is no longer any excuse for such neglect and Citroën are to be congratulated for setting an example which we hope others will follow.”

Among the latest Euro NCAP results was a “struck-through” three-star rating for the Chevrolet Matiz for adult occupant protection. The strike-through indicates an unacceptably high risk of life-threatening injury in one aspect of the car’s performance, in this case chest protection in side impact. As a result, the Matiz lags behind other superminis such as the Fiat Punto and the Toyota Yaris, both of which were awarded the maximum five stars for adult occupant protection. The Matiz was also the only car tested in the latest phase not to have a seatbelt reminder system as standard. Such systems have been shown to encourage seatbelt use, essential for effective occupant protection, says Euro NCAP. Professor Tingvall says: “All of the safety features in a car are wasted if people don’t wear their seatbelts and we now know that a reminder system is a very effective way of encouraging use.”

He adds: “I am pleased to see that we have two more superminis providing five-star occupant protection. It is clear that manufacturers are finding new ways to provide safety even in small, tightly packaged cars. However, we also have a ‘struck-through’ three-star car in this phase, showing that there is still room for improvement. Euro NCAP will continue to encourage all manufacturers to achieve the highest levels of safety.” Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation, which is one of the supporters of Euro NCAP, says: “In terms of pedestrian safety, these results graphically illustrate the vast difference between the best and the worst. We need more innovation in pedestrian safety and Citroën has shown how to achieve it. “By attaining the maximum stars for both occupant and pedestrian protection, Citroën has shown that pedestrian safety does not have to be compromised to make the car safer for its occupants.”

Euro NCAP results
(Only vehicles tested since 2001 are listed below. For previous test results, visit: www.euroncap.com)