Minis’ safety slammed

Car makers are letting safety slide when it comes to superminis, crash test experts claim.

Despite the growing popularity of the fuel-efficient small models, only 17 per cent of those on sale in the UK are fitted with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) as standard.

The vital safety kit detects a skid and uses electronics to brake individual wheels and keep the vehicle under control. It is “the most effective safety device since the seatbelt”, according to Michiel van Ratingen, secretary general of Euro NCAP which surveyed the kit’s availability Europe-wide.

A comparison of cars revealed that Proton and Lotus were the worst culprits, with neither offering the set-up on any of their models – even as an option. Chevrolet was next on the league table, with ESC standard on none of its European cars and optional on only one-third of its range. Fiat, Suzuki and Daihatsu followed, with less than 30 per cent of theirmodels having the device fitted.