ANCAP moves with the times

It's a sign of the growing importance of the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) that its ratings 'Roadmap' has been developed following consultation with the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI).

"We are pleased that there has been acceptance from the FCAI and the automotive industry in recognising the value of ANCAP testing and results," ANCAP Chairman, Lauchlan McIntosh was quoted as saying in a press release issued today. 

Where once the findings of the independent body (supported primarily by state motoring associations) were scorned or ignored by the car companies, the view that ANCAP provides consumers with important comparison data has prevailed in recent years. Subaru relies on ANCAP as the virtual centerpiece of its marketing strategy and the local manufacturers are also now incorporating (favourable) ANCAP ratings in the advertising material for their product ranges.

The Roadmap is an outline of where ANCAP expects its testing regime to be in the not-too-distant future, and features new tests for pedestrian safety, whiplash protection and roof strength. Furthermore, ANCAP intends to balance its passive (crash) safety data with more detailed information on each car's active safety systems; equipment like: daytime running lights, emergency brake assist, collision avoidance, lane departure warnings, driver fatigue systems and intelligent speed assist.

ANCAP already takes into consideration the fitment of electronic stability control before arriving at a car's safety rating, although in the current scheme the 'impact' of stability control is only as a pre-requisite for the vehicle's evaluation as a five-star prospect. The Australian testing body, by insisting that cars could only achieve a five-star score with stability control fitted, was a year ahead of its European counterpart, EuroNCAP, but the European system is more comprehensive overall and has collated pedestrian safety data for years, to use one example.

"The ANCAP Roadmap takes its lead from the recent rating system changes introduced by EuroNCAP and ensures a continuation of ANCAP's relationship with EuroNCAP and improved harmonisation of rating systems," McIntosh said.

By rating cars in a two-tier system (depending on whether post-2009 vehicles had stability control fitted), Euro NCAP has set a precedent that, if followed by ANCAP locally, allows vehicles to be tested within a different framework, according to the year of production and the testing criteria that applied at the time. The danger is that more than two different tiers may be confusing for the consumer, but the plus is that five stars will remain a relevant score, unlike Europe where 97 per cent of cars tested in 2008 -- the year prior to the stability control pre-requisite -- achieved the maximum crash testing rating.

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