70 CAR OF MIX VARIANCES IN MALAYSIA FAILED THE NCAP CRASH TEST?

70 CAR OF MIX VARIANCES IN MALAYSIA FAILED THE NCAP CRASH TEST?

Well.. It would have if it was made to go through the crash test but instead, it was given an exemption from compliance by our Ministry of Transport.

On 7 December 2011, the Global New Car Assessment Programme (GNCAP) and the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) signed a collaborative MOU to establish a pilot project for an ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nation) New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). The objective of the program was to elevate motor vehicle safety standards in the ASEAN region and encourage a market for safer vehicles. (Source: FIA).

The essence behind the NCAP is to educate consumers in selecting the best crashworthy car.

Upon getting the cabinet approval, the Transport Ministry issued a list of United Nation Economic Council for Europe (UN ECE) regulations for motorcar assemblers and manufacturers in Malaysia to implement by January 2012. Failing that, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) had already extended the date by six months to June 2012. (Source: New Sunday Times, 13 April 2012)

Todate, 10 car-make with 70 model variances listed below still did not meet the regulation under the ASEAN NCAP. Those listed below did not comply and was given an exemption from complying to the UN ECE Regulation 94 and R95. (Source: Road Transport Department (JPJ), website).

The UN ECE Regulation No. 94 and No. 95 specifies a minimum crash safety performance for frontal collision speed of 64 km/h and side collision speed of 64 km/h.

Notice from the list below, most global carmaker such as TOYOTA, produced two different models of the same car with those in Malaysia not conforming to the Global crashworthiness standard but the same car passed the carshworthiness in other region.

A global car manufacturer has to engineer the car to four different types of national specifications but usually it was designed in compliance to either the US specifications or the General Market specifications. There are also the European specifications and Japan specifications. The US specification is usually the most expensive because of the high safety and environmental specifications.
 

(Source: Road Transport Department (JPJ), website)

PEDA URGED MOT TO WITHDRAW ALL EXEMPTION GIVEN TO CARMAKERS

Kuala Lumpur, February 2013. "PROTON Edar Dealers Association Malaysia (PEDA) lauded the government’s effort provided under MIROS, an arm under the Ministry of Transport to elevate our motor vehicle safety standards and encourage a market for safer vehicles in Malaysia under the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP)”, said Armin Baniaz Pahamin President, PEDA. He further added, “Given the essence of NCAP, PEDA urged our Minister of Transport to withdraw all exemption and waiver given to 10 car models with more than 70 variances that did not meet the NCAP safety requirement.

1. In 2011, the Ministry of Transport issued a list of United Nation Economic Council for Europe (UN ECE) regulations for motorcar assemblers and manufacturers in Malaysia to implement by January 2012. The deadline was first extended to June 2012 (Source: NST, 13 April 2012). Todate, 70 car variances were still given exemption for non-compliance when the local car manufacturer and assembler could not meet two items on the list namely UN ECE R94 (frontal collision system) and UN ECE R95 (side collision) (Reference: http://www.jpj.gov.my/web/guest/status-senarai-kenderaan-yang-tidak-mematuhi).

2. Announced in 2007, regulation No. 94 and No. 95 of the UN ECE specifies a minimum crash safety performance for frontal collision speed of 64 km/h and side collision speed of 64 km/h.

3. The R94 and R95 are standards issued by UNECE regarding the level of protection of passengers in a car in the event of a front impact and a side impact. These standards are used for the issuing of safety ratings by the NCAP operated by regional non-profit organizations and funded by governments and/or insurance groups. 

 4. The essence behind the NCAP is to educate consumers in selecting the best crashworthy car but with 70 car variances given an exemption for non-compliance (See attached list), consumers are being blindfolded when their choices were impaired and misguided with the absentees of this safety requirement. 

5. Since the directive was issued, the exemption is still valid todate at the cost of the public’s safety and life endangerment. 

 6. The exemption by JPJ is not in tandem with the spirit under the NCAP which was a collaboration signed between the Global New Car Assessment Program (GNCAP) and the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) on 7th of December 2011 but will continue to model Malaysia as a dumping ground for foreign cars with sub-standard safety compliance. 

7. A global car manufacturer has to engineer the car to four different types of national specifications but usually it was designed in compliance to either the US specifications or the General Market specifications. There are also the European specifications and Japan specifications. The US specification is usually the most expensive because of the high safety and environmental specifications. 

 8. The difference between those national specifications is so big that some carmakers like Toyota for example produces two different models of the same car for different region. This is partly the reason why the US market has a different looking Toyota Camry and in Malaysia, most global carmakers did not conform but was given exemption from adhering to the UNECE R94 and R95. 

 9. Developing markets like Malaysia usually get the general specifications body, which may or may not comply to UNECE R94 and R95. 

10. There were 7 vehicles selected for the first phase of the ASEAN NCAP crash test based on vehicle “entry-level”, most sellable cars and its market share according to their market segment. The 7 vehicles were Honda City, Ford Fiesta, Proton Saga Perodua Myvi, Hyundai i10, Nissan March and Toyota. The ASEAN NCAP first phase test result were made public on 31 January 2013. 

11. The result however was not a good representation for the consumer and it did not achieve the overall objective of NCAP as it excludes vehicle model such as the Perodua Viva which was sold with more than 60,000 units per year and more than 95% market share in Segment A in vehicle sales category. Other vehicle models in the same category (Segmen A) namely Hyundai i10 (with less than 3% market share) were made to participate in the crash test. 

12. With such a significant car sales volume, it is important for the public to be aware and beknown of Perodua Viva’s crashworthiness that was the objective of the NCAP. Giving an exemption to any manufacturer or assemblers from NCAP compliance is akin of lying to the public by hiding the non-compliance to the global motor vehicle safety standard”, said Armin Baniaz Pahamin. 

13. He added, “Car manufacturer or distributor should not be given any exemption or waiver especially when it involve the public safety. The public’s right should not be compromised especially with Malaysia being the 3rd highest road fatality per 10,000-registered vehicle in South East Asia. 

In Thailand, all eco-cars like the Nissan March and Honda Brio (usually priced around RM40,000) already conform to UNECE R94 and R95 standards, as it is one of the requirement set by the Thai government to qualify for eco-car tax incentive. (Source: NST April 13, 2012)