Why Corolla should be a safer bet

Toyota Australia is working on its Vehicle Stability Control and promises it will be available next year, but it should have been ready for the first delivery of its all-new compact champion.

The Corolla could easily become Australia's best seller in the next few years, even though Toyota refuses to mount a head-on attack against the Holden Commodore, and it has a responsibility to set the standard for small-car safety.

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But the situation on electronic stability control in the Corolla is typical of a life-saving technology that is having a tough time worldwide.

And it follows a slow take-up for airbags beyond the basic frontal protection.

The European NCAP safety organisation, which has set the standard for independent crash testing, has recently called for ESP to be standard on all cars and has criticised carmakers' attitudes to its introduction.

It rates Denmark, Sweden and Germany at the top of the countries pushing the ESP advantage, with Britain, Holland, Greece, Malta and Ireland at the bottom of a European Union ranking.

“We must all do what we can to raise awareness of ESP's importance,” Euro NCAP general secretary Adrian Hobbs says.

“Car manufacturers respond to the demands of customers but customers will demand it only when they become aware of the benefits.

“The reasons for the disparity are not technical ones. Some models have ESP fitted as standard equipment in one country, yet it is not available, even as an option, in others.”

Euro NCAP has begun a program called “Choose ESC” and it is one that should be mirrored in Australia.

Ford and GM Holden are doing a good job on pushing the introduction of ESP but other companies are taking far too long.

Luxury brands, including Mercedes and BMW, worry that Australia's discriminatory luxury car tax is actually anti-safety because of the extra cost it imposes on new life-saving technology.

And Toyota? At least the Corolla is available with airbags and anti-skid brakes, unlike the company's 70-Series LandCruiser workhorse, which is still not available with any sort of airbag at any price.