Car makers: protect pedestrians better! - Why isn't more being done?

Euro NCAP's Hobbs argues that car makers don't want to be put in a design straitjacket. 'They are all looking for the next big thing, so the standard response is to say 'it can't be done'. But when side impact legislation came in, they all met it, and very quickly,' he says.

Car manufacturers say they are working hard to improve pedestrian safety, but that meeting NCAP standards increases a car's weight, which damages efforts to reduce emissions. They also say improving pedestrian safety makes it more difficult to guarantee occupant safety, while cars become uglier and less appealing to buyers.

Ford's European design director, Martin Smith, says: 'We are working around a lot of hard points defined by geometrical configurations laid down by the EU, and at the same time trying to balance the visual elements of the car and the aerodynamics.'

Hobbs, however, believes it is just a matter of detailed design. 'There are cars out there with good pedestrian protection, but you'd never know by looking at them,' he says. 'We accept that designing a car is not a trivial job; legislation is complex and the demands of consumers are high. All we are saying is that pedestrian safety should be on a level playing field with everything else.'

So what do the designers need to do? See the following page to find out.