Munich - Some compact cabriolets do not offer occupants sufficient protection in the case of a serious accident, according to Germany's ADAC motoring club.

The club chose three cars, the Citroen C3 Pluriel, Peugeot 207 CC and BMW Mini, as representatives of the class and crash-tested them at its proving ground in southern Germany.

An ADAC spokesman said none of the baby dropheads tested proved particularly safe. It urged manufacturers to beef-up the roll-over bars fitted to smaller cabriolets and improve safety technology by installing more efficient seatbelt tensioners.

The Peugeot scored best in the crash test thanks to active roll- over bars behind the rear seats which deploy almost instantly when various onboard sensors detect an imminent roll-over situation.

ADAC experts criticized what they saw as the relative weakness of the front windscreen pillars of the Peugeot but praised the three- point inertia seatbelts fitted. These are designed to ensure that passengers are kept firmly anchored in their seats during an accident.

The Mini came in for criticism after testers said the pyrotechnic devices which activate the belt tensioners did not activate when the car rolled over. It said the rear aluminium rollover pipes with integrated headrests were also not high enough for anyone over 1.75 centimetres in height but praised the steel-reinforced front A- pillars for their strength.

The Citroen came off worse in the ADAC test. Its front windscreen did not bend as much as that of the Peugeot but the integrated rear roll-over bars were judged to be not high enough, posing a potential danger to all but the smallest rear seat occupants. The seatbelt geometry would also not prevent passengers from being thrown out of the car in a crash situation, said the testers. (dpa)