Just a few short days ago, the European New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) published its safety findings for the Chevrolet Trax. The subcompact crossover, which is (sadly) available in every global market except for the United States, scored high marks in all areas of the comprehensive test, earning a maximum five stars overall as well as relatively high scores for the individual subsections that make up the overall grade.
| Adult occupant: | 94% |
| Child occupant: | 85% |
| Pedestrian: | 64% |
| Safety assist: | 81% |
| Overall score: | 5 stars (of 5) |
What was unique about Euro NCAP’s test of the Gamma-based Trax, however, was that the organization noticed that the crossover was the “same as the Opel Mokka” (aka Buick Encore). This allowed Euro NCAP to carry over some scores from tests conducted on the very similar Opel, where appropriate. But if and where Euro NCAP’s test methods changed from 2012 to 2013, new tests were conducted. Here’s the Trax, in its crash-testing glory:
As a reminder, the frontal impact test takes place at 64 Km/h (40 MPH) with 40 percent of the width of the car striking a deformable barrier. In the side impact, a mobile deformable barrier impacts the driver’s door at 50 km/h (31 MPH), while the pole test involves the car being propelled sideways at 29km/h (18 MPH) into a rigid pole.
Comment
I wonder how often airbags fail to deploy. We were slowing for a traffic light and hit from behind by a (Chrysler) vehicle going about the same speed as that in this test, and the airbags in the offending car did not deploy. Our vehicle, of course, was not rigidly in place and was thrust forward, but still, airbags should have popped. The Chrysler was beyond totaled. The offending driver was fumbling with her phone and not looking.
The ignorance in our society (i.e., car/phone users thinking it won’t happen to them) is epidemic. Women tend to express with their hands when they talk. I’ve seen them with a phone in one hand and the other hand raised in exclamation while at freeway speeds. Hopefully these drivers are skilled and have been holding the wheel in place with their knees. But then their are the people texting. These folks think it’s OK to expose themselves like a drunk driver. I’ve never seen a person texting while still holding a line within a lane. Prison on manslaughter charges is not a possibility in their thinking.