Keeping Safe On The Road, Choosing A New Family Car

Whether you’re starting a family or it’s getting bigger buying a new car is a major decision for any mum and dad. The number one question for any parent is safety closely followed by family friendliness. Whether you’re buying new or used we’ve got the advice to help you choose the right car for your family.

We asked Stephen Moir, CEO of the Motor Trade Association of WA, what parents should look for when purchasing a family car.

“There are a few questions you need to ask yourself to determine what type of car you need”, said Mr Moir. “First of, how many kids and pets do you intend to have? Your family car is a big investment and most people hang on to them for many years. Your car needs to comfortably fit all of the family so it’s worthwhile to think about your future plans when considering upgrading for the family.”

“While your days of driving a coupe have gone, if you’re planning for two kids, there’s still plenty of options including sedans, hatches, SUV’s, or 4WD’s. If you’re really ambitious and choose to have more than two kids you’re really entering into people mover territory.”

“It’s also important to consider how close together you’re intending to have your children, it affects the size, number and type of child seats you’ll need to fit; Children up to the age of 7 or until they’re taller than 145 cm must use an approved child safety seat. Plus don’t forget, once you’ve got the pram and baby stuff in the boot you also need to be able to fit the grocery shopping”

“The next important question is where do you live and where do you go? If you live inner city and have limited parking space, manoeuvrability is a must; plus you’ll want to make sure the car isn’t too wide. You’ll need to be able to open the back doors completely to be able to get your child out of their seat without doing your back in.”

“Once you’ve answered these questions you’ll have narrowed down the type of car that you’re looking for; then it’s time to seriously start looking at vehicle safety”, said Mr Moir.

“The best way of judging safety is to look at the ANCAP safety ratings. Put simply the higher the ANCAP star rating the higher the likelihood that you and your family will survive an accident.“The other aspect of safety is the vehicle capacity to accommodate child seats”, said Mr. Moir. “Think about ease of fitting a seat, space between each seat, anchor point locations, anchor point compatibility with your child seat, and legroom restrictions when a child seat is installed.”

“You should always get your child seats fitted by an approved fitter,” said Mr. Moir, “It will give you peace of mind that the seat is fitted correctly and it will be most effective in protecting your child should you be unfortunate enough to have an accident.”

“Once you’ve decided on the type of car that you’re looking for, book a test drive with a reputable, licensed dealer. I’d recommend that you even take your pram and child seats with you so that you can see how well they fit the car. You’ll be taking the pram in and out of the boot hundreds of times over the next few years so a test run can be well worth your while” Mr Moir said.

“Also check visibility in your test drive, you want to be sure that you can see toddlers when you’re reversing out of the driveway. Reversing cameras are strongly recommended when dealing with children”

“I’d also recommend that you purchase your next car through a licensed dealer. Choosing a licensed dealer provides you with guarantees and warranties under the Australian Consumer Law in case something goes wrong with your car.”

Checklist

Safety First

1. How many child seats can you fit across the backseat?
2. Is there seatbelt access?
3. Location of anchor points for child seats? Are they compatible with your child seats?
4. Are there side, rear and front airbags?
5. What is the ANCAP rating?

Family Friendly

1. How easy is it to access the rear seats?
2. Can you fit a pram and your groceries in the boot?
3. Front passenger legroom when child seats are installed?
4. Can you access seatbelts if child seats are positioned next to each other?
5. How much do the doors need to open to access child seats?

The Motor Trade Association of WA is the peak industry body for the automotive industry in Western Australia.  Members of the Association are dedicated to providing excellent customer service, high quality workmanship and provide consumers with trustworthy advice.  Look for the MTA WA sign and choose MTA WA member.

You might consider Hyundai Tucson as your new family car.