Safety

Like you, GM Fleet regards vehicle safety and occupant protection systems as the most important features of any vehicle. From implementing the country’s first vehicle crash test program over 30 years ago, to its 17 year association with the Monash University Accident Research Centre, Holden’s leadership in automotive safety technology in Australia is unquestioned.

Active Safety

Active safety features are of prime importance to drivers and passengers because they maximise a vehicle’s collision avoidance capabilities.

ESC

Standard on all VE Commodore sedan, Statesman, Caprice, VE Sportwagon, VE Ute, Captiva, Epica and Astra models, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) dramatically increases turning and cornering safety, especially in ‘evasive action’ situations. If skidding appears imminent, ESC applies brake pressure to individual wheels as appropriate and, if necessary, trims engine power to ensure the vehicle keeps moving in the direction intended.

ABS

All GM Fleet vehicles are available with an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), which prevents wheel ‘lock up’ under forceful braking. ABS improves braking efficiency, helps maintain steering control and ensures vehicles remain directionally stable. Some Holden models also offer Brake Assist (BA) or Electronic Brake Assist (EBA), which senses how fast the brake is pressed and maximises braking pressure to optimise braking performance.

TCS

Designed to minimise slippage during acceleration, a Traction Control System (TCS) recognises if a driving wheel has insufficient grip and adjusts driveforce and brakeforce accordingly. It reduces wheelspin when accelerating on wet and icy roads, and also in ‘split’ conditions, such as when a vehicle has two wheels on bitumen and two on a gravel verge.

Passive Safety

Passive safety features help protect vehicle occupants from injury once a collision becomes unavoidable.

Airbags

Front, side and curtain airbags reduce the risk of head, facial and chest injuries caused by contact with the vehicle interior in severe frontal and side-on collisions. Dual-stage frontal airbags allow the airbag performance to be tailored to suit the crash severity.

Standard on all VE Commodore sedan, Statesman, Caprice and VE Sportwagon models, curtain airbags deploy downwards from beneath the headliner providing added head protection in side impacts. Curtain airbags are particularly suited to Australian conditions where trees and utility poles are commonly found along our rural and urban roads posing a significant risk in side impacts.

Seatbelts

The basis for occupant protection, seatbelts in all Commodore, Statesman, Caprice, Sportwagon and Ute models feature load limiters and pyrotechnic buckle pretensioners for the driver and front passenger. When an impact of sufficient severity is detected, small explosive charges force the seatbelt buckles toward the cabin floor. This tightens the seatbelts and holds front occupants firmly against their seats. Following airbag deployment, load limiters unspool the front seatbelts incrementally to minimise the risk of seatbelt related injury.

Emergency Shutdown

All models across the Commodore, Sportwagon and Ute ranges, as well as Statesman and Caprice are fitted with Emergency Shutdown. Where airbags or seatbelt pretensioners are deployed as a result of a collision, on-board safety systems will automatically turn off the engine and fuel pump, unlock the doors and turn the hazard and interior lights on, if battery power is available.