Cars on a road

The European body responsible for testing new cars has demanded a popular model of pick-up truck to be recalled after giving it poor safety ratings. Experts say the poor design of the Nissan Navara made deaths and serious injuries more likely in an accident. This report from Tom Symonds:

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But the Euro NCAP test revealed its airbags opened too slowly and seatbelts didn't provide enough protection during a collision. The body shell of the vehicle wasn't strong enough, and the foot well deformed on impact, putting the driver at risk of injuries from the foot pedals. Another pickup truck, the Isuzu Dmax, also scored poorly with just two stars.

Nissan said the problem with the airbags only affected 2008 models of the Navara. It's inviting owners to have their airbag settings changed, and Euro NCAP to publish test results for the modified vehicle.

Tom Symonds, BBC

Listen to the words

is marketed
is advertised, is promoted

a rough and tough off-road vehicle
a strong, robust car that you can drive in fields, tracks or small lanes

recreational
something you use in your spare time, as a hobby, not something you use for work

airbags
bags in vehicles that automatically fill with air if vehicles are involved in an accident, so that drivers or passengers are protected from injury

during a collision
in a car crash

body shell
the whole of the outside structure

the foot well deformed on impact
the foot well (i.e. the area in the car where you place your feet) got damaged very badly when the car crashed

putting the driver at risk of injuries
it was likely that the driver would get injured

pedals
bars which you push down with your foot to control a vehicle

modified
changed

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