Hi
Check out the latest edition of the ANCAPStar. This edition contains the latest ANCAP safety ratings and news from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program.
ANCAP is Australasia's leading independent vehicle safety advocate. ANCAP provides consumers with transparent information on the level of occupant and pedestrian protection and collision avoidance capabilities provided by different vehicle models in the most common types of crashes through its safety rating program.
Our member organisations include all Australian automobile clubs, the New Zealand Automobile Association, Australian Federal, State & Territory Governments, the New Zealand Government, the Victorian Transport Accident Commission, NRMA Insurance and the FIA Foundation (UK).
Meet all of our member organisations.
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Notice something different?
ANCAP is making it easier for consumers to identify the requirements against which vehicles have been tested through the addition of a datestamp component to its ANCAP safety rating logos.
In order to provide consumers with the safest cars possible and encourage continuous improvement in vehicle safety design, ANCAP is continuing to raise the bar year by year for each of its safety star ratings.
The new datestamp component (e.g. "Tested 2014 ") signifies the Rating Year requirements against which a vehicle has been tested.
"Consumers are now well aware of ANCAP and its 1 to 5 star safety rating system and are interested to know how a 5 star rating of earlier years compares with a 5 star rating of today," said ANCAP Chairman, Mr Lauchlan McIntosh AM.
"ANCAP prides itself on the provision and presentation of independent and easy to understand ratings to consumers. As the ANCAP test program moves in line with the rapid progression of vehicle safety design and technologies, the introduction of datestamping to ANCAP ratings is the next step in clearly communicating the differences in a car rated today compared with a car rated in forthcoming years," said Mr McIntosh.
The ANCAP rating logos with datestamp (see example above) have been issued for all new ratings published from July and will be rolled out across ANCAP and manufacturer advertising materials and other relevant new car information sources over the coming months.
For more information on the introduction of the ANCAP rating logos with datestamp, see Datestamping: The Facts. The full range of ANCAP logos can be obtained by emailing ancap@ancap.com.au.
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Latest Media Releases.
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14 July 2014
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New Qashqai is 5 star but what's missing?
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ANCAP has today awarded two 5 star ANCAP safety ratings. The Nissan Qashqai and Mercedes-Benz C-Class took out the top prize. At the same time, a 4 star ANCAP safety rating has been released for the Ssangyong Stavic people mover - a mediocre result for the family-friendly model.
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28 May 2014
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First 5 star ANCAP safety rating for Jeep
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ANCAP has today awarded Jeep its first 5 star ANCAP safety rating, with the 2014 Cherokee claiming the prize. The Skoda Rapid, Honda Odyssey and Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid have also scored top ratings.
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Seeing Stars?
A new 60 second television commercial has been created calling on consumers to think about and check the ANCAP safety rating of their current or prospective new car. The TVC features a series of real-time frontal offset crashes and includes the tag line, "Seeing stars? How many?". Take a look at youtube.com/user/ancapcrashtests.
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ANCAP Snapshot.
It's been another busy year for ANCAP. For the 12 months ending 30 June 2014:
- 42 ANCAP safety ratings were published.
- 175+ crash tests were conducted:
- 35 frontal offset
- 30 side impact
- 29 pole tests
- 33 pedestrian tests
- 50 whiplash tests
- 127 vehicles were destroyed in the name of safety.
- 354 dummies faced up to their fate.
A range of new cars are scheduled for crash testing over the coming months so keep checking ancap.com.au to see if your current or soon-to-be new car has been awarded the maximum 5 star ANCAP safety rating.
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Latest results from Latin NCAP.
Latin NCAP has now completed its fifth phase of testing with both Peugeot and Fiat making progress however the performance of GM's Chevrolet brand remains disappointing.
The Peugeot 208 achieved a 4 star Latin NCAP safety rating for adult occupant protection with the structure of the car performing well. The Latin American-specified 208 however offered far less safety equipment than the European-specified model with electronic stability control (ESC), side airbags, ISOFIX and a passenger airbag disconnection switch not present in the Latin American model.
The Fiat Palio (tested with dual frontal airbags) achieved a 3 star Latin NCAP rating. A non-airbag version of the Palio was also tested, resulting in a zero star result. As a result of pressure from Latin NCAP testing, in May, Fiat ceased production of all non-airbag equipped Palio models.
The Chevrolet Spark also scored zero stars in Latin NCAP testing as a result of an unstable body structure and lack of airbags. Unlike Fiat, GM is yet to commit to removing the non-airbag Spark from production for the Latin American market.
The final result announced by Latin NCAP was for the Chevrolet Onix, scoring 3 stars with the footwell area rupturing on impact.
"It is encouraging to see how manufacturers are bringing newer and safer platforms to our region, however the [safety] equipment is still below the standard in the same models sold cheaper in Europe than Latin America. The lack of UN regulations as a mandatory requirement for Latin America is a major concern. We hope that the industry will be more supportive of governments wishing to apply UN regulations that will benefit all Latin American consumers," said Alejandro Furas, Secretary General, Latin NCAP.
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Stars on Cars Hits WA Dealerships.
Vehicle safety in Western Australia is a key area of focus under the State Government's Towards Zero road safety strategy. Based on the Safe System approach, safe vehicles is one of the strategy’s four cornerstones with the potential to save 2,900 West Australians from being killed or seriously injured over the life of the strategy. This level of injury would cost the WA community around $1,740 million.
WA's Office of Road Safety (ORS) aims to reduce these deaths and serious injuries by increasing the purchase of safer vehicles and as such re-launched its Stars on Cars program in June with a mass media campaign. The campaign utilises the message "Before you buy a car, consult the stars" to encourage the WA community to consider ANCAP safety ratings before purchasing a vehicle. Campaign advertising has been in play across a variety of media, including state-wide newspapers, metro bus shelters and billboards, and online mechanisms.
Over 40 local dealerships are participating in the Stars on Cars program, promoting 5 star ANCAP safety rated vehicles through targeted point-of-sale materials including rating labels, information brochures and banner signage.
The ORS also aims to educate WA businesses on making informed purchasing decisions when selecting fleet vehicles through its Workplace Road Safety section. Where possible, the purchase of 5 star ANCAP safety rated vehicles is encouraged.
The WA Government continues to lead the community in purchasing safe vehicles. From 1 October 2011, WA government agencies have been required to purchase passenger vehicles that hold the maximum 5 star ANCAP safety rating. From 1 January 2014, this requirement now also extends to all light commercial and SUV vehicles. WA and Victoria are the only two jurisdictions which have a 5 star requirement across passenger, SUV and LCV categories.
Road trauma in WA has been on a downward trend since its ten year high in 2007/8. In July 2014, road deaths in WA were down 38.5% compared to July 2013 and in the 12 months ending July 2014 road deaths had dropped by 11.4%.
For further information on WA's Stars on Cars program visit:
ors.wa.gov.au/road-safety-topics/road-issues/vehicles.
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Top Sellers Offer Top Safety.
New car sales continue at some of the highest levels on record with once again just over half a million new passenger, SUV and light commercial vehicles sold in Australia in the first half of 2014.
While the volume of new vehicles sold January to June 2014 is similar to the same period last year (roughly 10,000 less vehicles sold in 2014), the number of models sold which hold the maximum 5 star ANCAP safety rating has increased by around 40,000 to occupy an impressive 80% of new car sales.
The 5 star car boost is due largely to the improved ANCAP safety rating of the Toyota Hilux 4x4 and the release of new models such as Nissan Pathfinder which previously held a 4 star ANCAP safety rating.
The top selling models in Australia during the first six months of 2014 were the Mazda 3, Toyota Corolla, Holden Commodore, Hyundai i30
and Toyota Hilux - all of which hold a 5 star ANCAP safety rating. The best selling models in New Zealand were the Toyota Corolla, Suzuki Swift, Holden Commodore, Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger. Again, each of these models holds the maximum 5 star rating.
The other predominant star rating shares across January to June were 4 star (12%) and unrated models (7%). The new Nissan X-Trail launched earlier this year currently falls into the unrated classification however testing of the X-Trail is scheduled for the coming months with an ANCAP safety rating likely to be available later in 2014.
To search the ANCAP safety ratings for other makes and models (with the ability to sort by ANCAP safety rating, vehicle type or make/model), click here.
* Visit ancap.com.au to check variant / model year applicability.
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9th International Crash Conference (iCRASH).
Australia was well represented at the 9th International Crash Conference (iCRASH) and parallel meetings in held in Kuching, Malaysia from 25-29 August 2014.
The aim of the Conference was to encourage scientists and engineers to meet the challenge of finding solutions that will greatly improve transport safety.
Key topics included:
- Structural Crashworthiness: Road and rail vehicles, air and spacecraft, ships and submarines
- Impact Biomechanics: vehicle occupants, vulnerable road users (cyclists and pedestrians)
- Safety Systems and Materials: vehicle occupant restraints, energy absorbers, metallic and composite materials
- Accident Survey and Reconstruction: real world database, realistic regulations, type approval tests, customer rating systems
- Modelling: simulation and validation
Associate Professor Robert Anderson from the Centre for Automotive Research (CASR) at The University of Adelaide gave a keynote presentation entitled "Measuring the success of modern vehicle crashworthiness" which reported detailed research results on the reduced trauma rates from crashes in newer cars.
Parallel programs included workshops on Road Safety Audit Guidelines, gearing towards a Malaysian Road Assessment Program (MyRAP) and an ASEAN Automobile Safety Forum hosted by ASEAN NCAP. ANCAP Chief Executive Officer, Nicholas Clarke, provided a presentation on the benefits of 5 star ANCAP rated cars to a Technical Workshop of ASEAN NCAP and Lauchlan McIntosh, President of the Australasian College of Road Safety, presented a paper on behalf of iRAP to the MyRAP workshop followed by meetings with Sarawak Infrastructure Minister and Director General of the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety.
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Fewer Deaths if Road Safety Awareness Intensified.
KUCHING: Deaths related to road accidents, expected to reach 10,000 in 2020, can be reduced by 50 per cent, provided the government and private sector intensify efforts to raise road safety awareness.
Malaysia Road Safety Department (JKJR) director general Datuk Dr Tam Weng Wah said the road accident fatality index in the country needed to be on par with other developed nations – about two deaths and below for every 10,000 vehicles or 10 deaths and below for a population of 100,000 – as it strives to become a developed nation by 2020.
The country recorded a total of 6,915 deaths out of 477,204 road accidents last year, a decrease of only two fatalities from 6,917 recorded the previous year. This translated to an average of almost 20 deaths per day, he added.
Road accidents, however, saw an increase of 14,781 last year from 462,423 recorded in 2012.
Read more at: The Borneo Post
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Make Policymakers Understand Findings, Experts Told.
KUCHING: It is important that study findings on crashworthiness and transport safety – whether for land, sea or aviation – be translated into a format that policy makers can understand and use.
Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Adenan Satem said technologies, models and practices that are produced will provide the government with the tools to address the challenges it currently faces in transportation and structural crashworthiness.
"With this in mind, we should work to improve existing information transfer and sharing, so that it can be easily integrated into collaborative environments.
"This will ensure that it makes the fullest possible contribution to the social and economic aims to which you aspire," he said in his speech at the opening of the 9th International Crashworthiness Conference (ICRASH 2014) at Riverside Majestic Hotel here yesterday.
Read more: The Borneo Post
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SAT Explained: Lane Support Systems.
We've all had moments where we've taken our eyes off the road for a brief moment to change the song playing or chat to one of our passengers. These brief moments of inattention can mean the car strays from its lane, and in severe circumstances, is the cause of a crash. Lane support systems (LSS) are active safety assist technologies which assist the driver to minimise instances such as these.
LSS monitor the position of the car in the road lane and warn and assist you when you unintentionally leave the lane or when you change the lane without indication. This is achieved through either radar, lidar or camera technology fitted to the vehicle which monitors the lane markings and in some cases uses GPS to monitor your position.
Lane departure warning (LDW) and lane keep assist (LKA) are examples of lane support systems. LDW systems provide either a visual, audible or haptic (vibration of the steering wheel) warning if the car goes too close to the lane markings or leaves its lane without indication. The car monitors the lane markings and steering input from the driver, and if the car is in danger of unintentionally crossing the lane markings, a warning is given to allow the driver to take corrective action. LKA systems go one step further and help correct the course of the car through active steering to return the car to its current lane. This is achieved either by the car automatically applying gentle braking to one wheel or, by applying a direct steering input.
Several manufacturers have developed LSS and ANCAP encourages consumers to ask for these systems when buying their next new car.
Image: Bosch
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Canberrans Urged to Stop Pushing the Limits.
Throughout July and August 2014, ANCAP participated in a series of vehicle safety displays held at each of Canberra's major shopping precincts as well as on campus at the University of Canberra - raising community awareness of the importance of vehicle safety, ANCAP safety ratings and safer speeds. The displays were held in conjunction with ANCAP's newest member organisation, the ACT Government, and ACT Policing as part of the ACT's "Stop Pushing the Limits" speed awareness campaign.
The centrepiece of ANCAP's display was the 5 star rated Subaru Forester (crash tested at 64km/h), positioned alongside a vehicle involved in a local fatal crash where high speed was one of the contributing factors. Vehicle safety experts from ANCAP and members of ACT Policing's Crash Investigation Unit were on hand at each of the displays to answer questions and provide a range of vehicle and road safety information and advice.
DID YOU KNOW?
Doing 65km/h in a 60km/h zone adds 17% more energy in a crash.
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Consumer Awareness at Record High.
Results from ANCAP's most recent brand tracking market research has shown consumer awareness of ANCAP and the ANCAP safety rating system has reached a record high. Three in four Australian new car buyers reported they are aware of the ANCAP brand with awareness rising to 74% of the new car buyer market – an increase on the 2012 result of 64%. Awareness amongst the New Zealand new car market has also risen significantly with more than half (54%) aware of ANCAP in 2014 compared with 36% in 2012.
Safety continues to hold the top spot when asked what attributes new car buyers consider most important when making their car purchasing decision (ranking equal first priority together with price). These results show we have come a long way when comparing consumer attitudes from the 1990s. Back then, safety barely got a look-in with just 3% of consumers considering safety the main priority.
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No Need to Reinvent the Wheel.
You may not realise that ANCAP has a wide range of promotional / point-of-sale materials available for you to use in promoting safety vehicles throughout your organisation, to your colleagues or your clients.
Whether it be labels which identify specific models as being 5 star rated; generic stickers which can be scanned by your smartphone to instantly view the ANCAP ratings of more than 500 different makes and models; booklets which feature the latest list of ANCAP rated vehicles; or mini crash test dummies which call for Road Safety Champions - ANCAP can help.
So whether you're a dealer, fleet manager, road safety coordinator, the CEO, accounts clerk, delivery driver or the work experience person, why not think about making use of some of ANCAP's range of materials to help share the important message of vehicle safety.
To view the range of items available, click here. To request quantities, contact ancap@ancap.com.au.
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China NCAP to host Global NCAP’s 2014 Annual Meeting.
Global NCAP's 2014 Annual Meeting will be held on October 28-30 hosted by China NCAP (C-NCAP) at the China Automotive Technology and Research Centre (CATARC) in Tianjin, China.
Announcing the date, Global NCAP’s Secretary General, Mr David Ward expressed his appreciation to C-NCAP for their "invaluable support in agreeing to host our 2014 meeting. It is a unique opportunity for us to hold our annual meeting at CATARC which is a remarkable centre with impressive laboratory capacity and a crash test facility."
The three day gathering will include meetings of Global NCAP’s Board of Trustees, Advisory Council and Technical and Media & Communications Working Groups. The Annual Meeting will feature an open Global NCAP Roundtable at which NCAPs will give short updates on their current and future activities. This will be followed by an Industry Dialogue meeting which will take the form of an informal Q&A session with industry representatives. A crash test viewing at CATARC’s laboratory and a special presentation on the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety will also form part of the program.
For more information about CATARC see: catarc.ac.cn/ac_en/index.html
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You asked us...
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Do all cars sold in Australia undergo ANCAP testing?
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Our expert said...
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ANCAP is an independent consumer awareness organisation which provides consumers with transparent information on the level of occupant and pedestrian protection, as well as collision avoidance capabilities, provided by different vehicle models in the most common types of serious crashes.
ANCAP safety ratings are not compulsory and are not regulatory standards.
The regulatory requirements which new vehicles must meet to be sold in Australia are the Australian Design Rules (ADRs). ANCAP testing and assessments are much more stringent than the regulatory tests set out in the ADRs. For example the ADR test speed for the frontal offset crash test is 56km/h whereas the ANCAP test speed for this same test is 64km/h.
ANCAP tests and issues ANCAP safety ratings for as many vehicles as possible and has ratings for around 500 vehicles. Take a look at ancap.com.au.
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You asked us...
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How long can a company keep a fleet vehicle in order to ensure their drivers are safe?
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Our expert said...
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Vehicle safety design and technologies are constantly improving, with safety technologies in particular improving at a rapid pace. We are seeing advanced safety assist technologies (SATs) emerging in new models which have the potential to prevent accidents from occurring. An example of such a technology is autonomous emergency braking (AEB), which is a system that can avoid, or minimise the impact of, a crash by using sensors to detect obstructions in a vehicle's path and automatically apply the brakes if the driver does not respond. As a result of such design and technology improvements, newer cars are expected to offer higher levels of safety.
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