ANCAP overhauls car safety ratings

Independent car safety authority ANCAP will overhaul its rating system to make it increasingly difficult for vehicles to earn five-stars.

The initiative is acknowledgment that the current system has not kept pace with the latest crash avoidance technology.

More than a third of the 300-plus cars tested by the Australian New Car Assessment Program now have a five-star rating -- and almost half have a four star rating.

But rather than add a sixth star to indicate new, higher levels of safety technology, ANCAP is going to raise the five-star bar and hope that consumers can figure out the difference.

Anomalies already exist. For example, since 2008 only cars with stability control -- as well as the maximum level of occupant protection in a crash -- have been awarded a five star rating.

But the ANCAP website has older five-star ratings for vehicles that don't have stability control, the Renault Scenic II (pictured) being one such vehicle.

A warning on the ANCAP website regarding older five-star vehicles says: "Vehicles tested after 1 January 2008 will require Electronic Stability Control in order to achieve a 5 star rating. This vehicle was tested prior to this date and may or may not meet this new requirement."

As the list of requirements for a five-star result becomes more complex over the next five years, how will buyers distinguish the difference between the latest five star results and older five star results?

"How we deal with that issue is still under consideration," says the business manager of ANCAP, Nick Clarke. "One option is to attach a year next to the star rating. Hopefully, the assumption is, people will be able to determine that a five star rating achieved in 2010 is better than a five-star rating achieved in 2007, and so on."

Over the next five years ANCAP will add several new minimum requirements for a five-star score that recognises such "safety assistance" technology as: lane-keeping devices, radar cruise control, automatic braking and rear view cameras.

Meanwhile other areas that cars must perform well in will include high scores for pedestrian protection, and two new categories: whiplash protection and roll-over protection (or roof strength).

The ANCAP path to five stars:

Since 2008 a five star car must have a high score in front, side and pole crash tests (as well as be equipped with stability control).

In addition to the above, a five star car must also have:

From 2011: at least one point for safety assistance technology;

From 2012: at least two points for safety assistance technology, "marginal" pedestrian protection, and "acceptable" whiplash protection;

From 2013: at least three points for safety assistance technology, "marginal" pedestrian protection, and "acceptable" whiplash protection;

From 2014: at least four points for safety assistance technology, "acceptable" pedestrian protection, "good" whiplash protection, and "acceptable" roof strength.

From 2015: at least five points for safety assistance technology, "acceptable" pedestrian protection, "good" whiplash protection, and "acceptable" roof strength.

Of the more than 300 cars tested by ANCAP over the past 18 years:
117 (38 per cent) scored five stars
137 (45 per cent) scored four stars
39 (13 per cent) scored three stars
11 (4 per cent) scored one or two stars.
Source: ANCAP 12 November 2010.

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