Some compact cabriolets do not offer
occupants sufficient protection in the case of a serious accident, according to
Germany's ADAC motoring club.
The club chose three cars, the Citroen C3 Pluriel, Peugeot 207 CC and BMW Mini,
as representatives of the class and crash-tested them at its proving ground in
southern Germany.
An ADAC spokesman said none of the baby dropheads tested proved particularly
safe. It urged manufacturers to beef-up the roll-over bars fitted to smaller cabriolets
and improve safety technology by installing more efficient seatbelt tensioners.
The Peugeot scored best in the crash test thanks to active roll- over bars
behind the rear seats which deploy almost instantly when various onboard
sensors detect an imminent roll-over situation.
ADAC experts criticized what they saw as the relative weakness of the front
windscreen pillars of the Peugeot but praised the three- point inertia
seatbelts fitted. These are designed to ensure that passengers are kept firmly
anchored in their seats during an accident.
The Mini came in for criticism after testers said the pyrotechnic devices which
activate the belt tensioners did not activate when the car rolled over. It said
the rear aluminium rollover pipes with integrated headrests were also not high
enough for anyone over 1.75 centimetres in height but praised the
steel-reinforced front A- pillars for their strength.
The Citroen came off worse in the ADAC test. Its front windscreen did not bend
as much as that of the Peugeot but the integrated rear roll-over bars were
judged to be not high enough, posing a potential danger to all but the smallest
rear seat occupants. The seatbelt geometry would also not prevent passengers
from being thrown out of the car in a crash situation, said the testers, dpa reported.
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