How safe is your car? Active vs passive protection explained

How safe do you feel when you get in your car?

Modern cars are doing more than just carrying passengers; they’re actively helping to prevent accidents and protect lives when crashes happen.

Tucker explains how active and passive safety systems work together to keep drivers and passengers safe.

He says German car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz was one of the frontrunners of active safety systems.

"A very long time ago, they started with your active braking systems (ABS), and they came out with your anti-lock braking system. They also came out with a version of electronic stability control."

These days, says Tucker, most cars, even entry-level vehicles, have anti-lock brakes as standard.

Active safety systems like these aim to prevent collisions before they happen, he explains.

"They are actively trying to prevent an accident."

Passive safety systems, by contrast, work during a crash to reduce injury.

Things like airbags, seat belts and crumple zones absorb impact in the event of a collision, protecting the passengers when prevention systems fail.

"We've learned now that if you can make a vehicle crumple in an accident and absorb the shock, the occupants fare better."

He adds that safety systems such as airbags and seatbelts are meant to work together.

"The safety belt is designed to work in conjunction with the airbag. Should you get in an accident, there's a little explosive device inside the safety belt that locks the safety belt, stops you from flying forward, and the airbag is then your absorbtion, which then deploys in front of you and absorbs the shock."

So what are the minimum safety features we should look for when purchasing a new car?

"A lot of the cars that come out today come with driver and passenger airbags as standard. Most cars today are designed with crumple zones," says Tucker.

He explains that cars sold in South Africa are subjected to European Union standards.

"The vehicles that get imported into our country are sold in Britain as well, and because of that, they comply with the NCAP, or the EU ratings."

There are exceptions, he says.

"I do know that the Datsun Go was a misnomer at the time, having been imported into Africa, but generally speaking, we get the highest spec'd vehicles with higher safety features."

To listen to Tucker, use the audio player below: