31 March 2009 - Hyundai Motors New Zealand along with the top representative groups for the Australian motor industry have this week come out in strong support of the announcement that Australia are considering making Electronic Stability Protection (ESP) mandatory in all passenger vehicles through federal legislation.

"We see this as a great move and would like to take the opportunity to encourage our government to reciprocate," says Philip Eustace, Executive Director Hyundai Motors New Zealand.

"Recent research done in the UK has shown that vehicles with ESP are 25 percent less likely to be involved in a fatal accident* and the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)has concluded that ESP reduces the likelihood of all fatal accidents by 43% and fatal single- vehicle crashes by 56%. There's no doubt about it, this is the biggest safety feature to come around since seatbelts and airbags."

New Zealand could lead the world with mandatory safety standards by making ESP compulsory on all new cars sold in New Zealand just as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the USA have mandated that ESP be included in every vehicle from 2012 with Europe and Japan following suit in 2015."

"It's time for our government to look at the issue and set the wheels in motion for ESP to become mandatory. All Hyundai vehicles come standard with ESP, other manufacturers are beginning to follow suit but its not enough."

As a New Zealand owned and operated company we support the initiative of the New Zealand Police, ACC, and New Zealand Transport Agency to publicise the benefits of major safety features to the New Zealand public which obviously includes ESP."

"This would save our health system millions of dollars every year. To that effect we would like to see it become compulsory for light commercial vehicles as well (currently exempt in the proposed Australian initiative). Commercial drivers spend more time on the road and therefore can be at a higher risk of being involved in an accident."