Uber now five-star safe – sort of

Effective from today (October 1), every new Uber vehicle must have a five-star ANCAP safety rating.

Originally announced in April, the ride-sharing giant’s new policy is designed to ensure that its entire vehicle fleet has a maximum five-star ANCAP rating or equivalent by October 2021.

However, that means Uber drivers currently using a vehicle without the five-star safety rating have two years to upgrade.

It also means that many Uber vehicles with a five-star ANCAP rating awarded before the end of 2017, when a tighter scoring regime made it all but impossible for a car to score a maximum rating without active driver aids such as autonomous emergency braking (AEB), aren’t actually as safe as those with 2018 or 2019 ‘date stamps’.

What’s more, Uber has also compiled a list of vehicles exempt from the new five-star rule, which include prestige and luxury vehicles ANCAP has not crash-tested, but have been able to demonstrate their safety capabilities.

The list includes models such as the Audi A7 and A8, BMW 7 Series, a range of Mercedes-Benz models, Lexus ES/GS/LS/LX/RX, Tesla Model X and Volkswagen Touareg.

Currently, all UberX vehicles must be less than 10 years old, while Uber Black, Lux and SUV vehicles must be less than seven years old and Uber Premium vehicles must be less than six years old.

Uber Australia says the major of trips its drivers log already take place in five-star ANCAP-rated vehicles, which are also required be “in excellent working condition, have third-party insurance and be re-inspected each year subject to state regulations”.

ANCAP chief executive James Goodwin said the five-star requirement by Uber, which has promised to offer flying taxis in Melbourne by 2023, should be the benchmark for others in the ride-share, car-share and taxi industry.

“Five-star safety is now the expected standard among car buyers, and we should expect the same high standard whenever we use a car as a mobility service,” he said.

“Ride-share services are a modern convenience. For some, it is their primary means of travel but for others, it’s their workplace, so providing everyone with a face environment is important.”