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CommentsAdult occupant
The passenger compartment of the Duster remained stable in the frontal impact but the rear (luggage compartment) door opened during the test and the car was penalised. Protection of the chest was rated as marginal for both front seat occupants, based on dummy readings of chest compression. Measurements in the dummies' knees and femurs did not indicate a problem but, on the driver's side, structures in the dashboard were considered to present a risk of injury to occupants of different sizes and to those sat in different positions, and protection on that side was rated as marginal. In the side barrier impact, the driver's door opened and the car was penalised. No doors opened in the more severe side pole impact but protection of the driver's chest was rated as weak because of dummy readings of rib compression. Protection against whiplash injuries in the event of a rear-end collision was rated as marginal.

Child occupant
The car scored maximum points for its protection of the 18 month dummy in the dynamic tests. Forward movement of the head of the 3 year dummy, sat in a forward facing restraint, was well controlled in the frontal impact and both dummies were properly contained by their restraints in the side barrier test. The passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. However, information provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag is not sufficiently clear. The dangers of using a rearward facing seat in that seat without first disabling the airbag were clearly explained, but the label was not permanently attached to the sun visor.

Pedestrian
Neither the bumper nor the front edge of the bonnet scored any points, offering poor protection to pedestrians' legs. The bonnet provided good protection in most areas likely to be struck by a child's head, but was predominantly poor in those areas where an adul't head would hit.

Safety assist
Electronic stability control is available as an option on the Duster but did not qualify for assessment. A seatbelt reminder is standard equipment for the driver's seat. A seatbelt reminder for the front passenger seat is expected by Dacia to be standard equipment in nearly all sales of the Duster, and the system met Euro NCAP's requirements.