Thatcham Research has called for more action in terms of standard fitment of additional safety features to new cars.
Commenting on the latest five-star ratings the Mercedes E-class upper medium saloon and the Peugeot 3008 crossover published by safety body Euro NCAP, Thatcham commended the German vehicle’s array of technology.
But the research company said the manufacturer has missed an opportunity to provide safety features, including assisted driving system and active lane keep assist features as standard.
Autonomous emergency braking fitted on all E-class models, but Thatcham said the majority of other safety features are only available as optional extras.
“The E-class is head and shoulders above the competition when it comes to advanced safety features,” said Director of research at Thatcham, Matthew Avery. “However, we know that the take up of optional safety features is typically less than 10%, so more needs to be done in terms of standard fitment to make these superb technologies more widely accessible.”