We hear of ANCAP Safety floating around in the conversations we have, but what exactly does it mean?
Since 2018, the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has been testing cars against 4 different criteria, including: Adult Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection and Safety Assist. They aim to indicate the level of safety a vehicle provides for occupants and pedestrians in the event of a crash. It further evaluates the likeliness of the technology in the car to be able to avoid or minimise an accident.
Cars are rated from 1 to 5 in terms of safety, with a 5-star rating considered to be the best. The rating awarded is based on a vehicles performance in crash tests conducted by ANCAP. These tests are focused on simulating real-world situations and are executed in specially built facilities. The four categories are described in more detail as per the ANCAP website below:
- Adult Occupant Protection: considers the level of protection offered by the vehicle to adult occupants seated in the front and second row in the most common types of serious injury crashes
- Child Occupant Protection: Evaluates the level of protection the vehicle offers to child occupants seated in appropriate child restraints in the rear seats. The ability to effectively accommodate a range of child restraints is also assessed.
- Vulnerable Road User Protection: Assesses the design of the front of the vehicle to minimise injury risk to a struck pedestrian. Vehicles are also assessed for their ability to actively avoid or mitigate impacts with pedestrians and cyclists.
- Safety Assist: Evaluates the presence and effectiveness of active safety technologies fitted to the vehicle which assist the driver in preventing or minimising the effects of a crash.
These ratings have now become a primary factor when deciding which vehicle to purchase. They allow the public to make an educated decision on the safety of a car without any bias from manufacturers. ANCAP’s reviews now encourage continuous improvement by the vehicle brands, to meet a standard of safety for the driver and the public.
When reading the rating, ensure to note the date stamp. This will share information for which year the car was tested. To achieve the maximum 5-Star ANCAP safety rating, a vehicle must reach the highest standards in all tests and feature advanced safety assist technologies. Using a car with a lower rating may indicate a risk to the car occupants and the public if an accident were to occur.
ANCAP’s independent assessments have helped provide accurate vehicle safety information to not only new car buyers but also manufacturers. Through ANCAP’s findings, car manufacturers continue to make improvements and have managed to create vehicles that are much safer for not just the driver but also for the public.
Click on the following link to check the ANCAP rating for the car you currently drive or are planning on purchasing: https://www.ancap.com.au/