A CORONER has strongly defended his warning about the wisdom of hiring Fiat Puntos to tourists, after evidence given by an experienced public-service vehicle inspector at an inquest into the death of a tourist driver.
The inquest heard a bar connected to the power-steering unit in the Punto severed the legs of the driver.
“It was brought to my attention this is a danger in this vehicle and I feel obliged to let the public know about it,” coroner for Kerry south Terence Casey said yesterday.
Fiat said there have been no other complaints worldwide and the coroner’s remarks were outside his expertise.
Adrian Walsh, managing director of Fiat Ireland, also said the manufacturer had no plans to change the design of vehicle, which has a five-star Euro-NCAP safety rating.
The inquest in Kenmare on Monday was into the death of Ruth Dickerson (64) from New Mexico, who suffered multiple injuries after her hired 2008 Fiat Punto collided with a Bus Éireann coach near Killarney.
In his written statement to the inquest, Jim O’Brien, garda public-service vehicle inspector stated: “The electric power steering drive unit mounted under the dash in front of the driver’s knees was displaced and driven rearwards towards the driver’s feet.” The bar underneath the steering pump severed the drivers leg on collision.
The inspector said he and his colleagues had built-up a portfolio and contacted Fiat about the matter. O’Brien said the manufacturer had responded to say that Fiat had fitted knee airbags to the particular area of concern in the Punto. However, Fiat yesterday denied any plans to change the design of the car and said no knee airbags were fitted to the Punto range.
Walsh said: “If you take any passenger vehicle that crashes into an 11-tonne bus going at 80km/h, I can’t think of any vehicle that would come out of that with its occupants relatively unscathed.” After further questioning of O’Brien, the coroner said he believed airbags would make no difference in front of a band of metal.
Casey advised hire companies not to rent such cars to tourists. “A lot of tourists have accidents on Irish roads and driving these vehicles gives no protection whatsoever,” he said.
The 2008 Punto, which was on its first rental before being involved in the crash was rented by Dan Dooley Car Rentals.
Jim Dooley, a director in the firm, said they would continue to stock Puntos. “This car has a five-star [Euro-NCAP] safety rating and we’ve no problem with renting or stocking these cars. You can’t expect any car to come out well when it hits a bus at 80km/h.”
Walsh said Fiat Ireland had around 500 Puntos on the car-rental market at any one time and had sold over one million worldwide.